We Wait Until Dawn (Human AU)
by pinkpoland
Summary: It's been a year since two of their beloved friends went missing up in the mountains. Alfred invites his group of friends up to spend the night in his cabin for old times sake. However, this nostalgic trip soon turns deadly as they're greeted by the horrors of the past. Hetalia/Until Dawn crossover - but not as how you would expect.
1. Prologue

Antonio paced the kitchen nervously, scratching the back of his hand as he thought. His anxious sigh hung frozen in the air as a chill crawled up his back.

 _Alright... I'm going to do it. I'm going to tell him tonight. It can't be that hard._

A bitter laugh escaped his lips as the Spaniard shook his head. Not hard? Even he laughed at himself for that. Telling someone you love them for the first time was extremely hard- well, in his case it was.

Sitting down on one of the table stools around, Antonio looked around the kitchen. Snow flew past the windows nearby as frost slowly crept along the window frame. The soft moonlight casted slightly haunting shadows outside from the slim pine trees that surrounded. Very faintly, an owl silhouette drifted over the window pane.

"Toni? What are you doing sitting by yourself?" A silky voice dipped in a think French accent slowly made it to his ears as Antonio let out another sigh.

"Oh, hey Francis." The man said as the blonde haired Frenchman took the seat beside him. "I was just thinking of something."

Francis, one of Antonio's best friends, had come along with him and their group of friends to spend the night in Alfred's family's cabin. The Jones's always were very wealthy among the social classes. Alfred, being so adventurous and social, had invited all his friends to come along and stay the night here. So commenced his yearly overnight cabin stay with his friends: Feliciano and Romano Vargas, Francis Bonnefoy, Arthur Kirkland, Kiku Honda, Antonio Carriedo, Gilbert Beilschmidt, and his brother Matthew.

The cabin was pretty big so it fit everyone perfectly. Being three stories high with just a little bit over a dozen rooms, it was quite a hangout place. Alfred's friends would usually refer to it as 'the mansion' since it was so big and too large to be seen as a mere cabin. Around the cabin was an old mine and an abandoned sanatorium. Alfred's parents warned them to not explore the mines and whatever else was there around the cabin. They said it was too dangerous and they didn't know what was there. So, they obeyed. No one lived up in these mountains nor did anyone travel up here often. The only constant travels made were the ones Alfred and his friends did every year. So, to them, they thought of their part of the mountain all theirs and theirs alone.

At the moment, Alfred, Arthur, and Kiku were hanging out in the parlor and talking near the fireplace. Feliciano and Romano were unpacking their stuff in their rooms. Gilbert was already sleeping in his.

"Thinking? Is there anything I can do that can help your thinking?" Francis questioned, reaching over to pour some wine into a cup. Yes, they all were underage still when it came to drinking, but that logic didn't matter to Francis. He was 20 and out of school so in his mind he didn't need to wait another year to drink.

Antonio bowed his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah... you know how Romano and I have been dating for two weeks now, right?" Francis nodded. "Well, I want to... I want to tell Romano that I love him."

The French male gasped and let out a little teasing laugh. "Mon Dieu, my little Spanish child really has fallen in love."

"Child? You're only a year older than me." Antonio cracked a tiny smile at that as Francis swung an arm around his friend.

"Listen," he said with a little sip of wine, "what you have to do is speak from your heart. Don't plan anything, don't stress over it. Just breathe and empty everything out before him. Let your heart do the talking and your mouth simply project the words. That's not too hard, non?"

This only earned another exasperated sigh from the Spaniard. "Yes, it is hard, Francis. You see, I'm not like you. I know how to woo ladies and gentlemen, yes. I'm flirtatious and all like you, but there's one thing I can't do that you can: say 'I love you'... I want to tell him but I fear that I may mess up. You know, I've never been so in love before... Romano has taken over my heart and I wish to express what he has taken in the best way possible."

Francis smiled warmly, his eyes coated in happiness as he watched his friend speak so highly about his beloved. Yes, he was only a year older but he still saw Antonio as his younger friend. Ever since they were 6th grade together they've been best friends.

"Oh Antonio," The blonde cooed as he looked at his friend like a proud mother, "You've found the one. Oh I'm so happy to see you so happy."

Antonio chuckled, looking over at him. "Gracias, mi amigo."

He rested his chin on his hand as he stared out the window once more to think.

 _What do I say? Romano, I love you- No, no. I can't do that. It's too straight forward and quick. I want to lead up to it... Those three words are special and should be said for the first time in a special way. But how? I really wish I was Francis right now... He says it so easily yet means it with all his heart with whoever he tells it to._

That's when a neat idea came into his mind.

"Francis," Antonio said through the silence that was starting to settle between them, "can I ask you for a favor?"

"What is it, mon ami?" Francis questioned, finishing the last of his wine.

"Can I practice with you?" Antonio requested, looking over at the other desperately. "I want to run over some things before I go tell him."

Francis let out a little laugh, his breath already inheriting the scent of red wine. "Okay, okay. Have at it."

Antonio stood up from his stool, walking around to face where Francis sat. Francis turned his body towards him, holding his newly filled wine glass.

Taking a deep breath, Antonio began. "Romano... I know we've been dating for a while. It hasn't even been a whole month, but the time I've spent with you has been nothing but wonderful. Sometimes I wake up and have to stop to realize that being with you was true... Never in my years of living would I think I'd finally get to date someone as great as you. You're so beautiful and charming. I could get lost in your eyes if I stared at them for too long. It's strange since its been such a short time to say this but... I love you. I love you very much. I love you with all my heart. Te amo con todo mi corazón."

Francis smiled brightly, his cheeks glowing a faint pink. "Oh Toni, I never knew you could say such loving things..."

Antonio chuckled, opening his mouth to respond to him. However, the words of thanks never came out for a pair of eyes stopped his words. The Spaniard turned towards the door of the kitchen as the view of a confused and hurt Italian stood in the entrance.

"You..." Romano narrowed his eyes at Francis then at Antonio. Antonio felt his face pale as he realized what the other must be implying.

"R-Romano, no... No this isn't what you think.." He quickly said, stepping over to the disbelieving other. Romano stepped back, shaking his head. His eyes were filled with hurt and brokenness as they stared back at the other's green ones. This couldn't be true. Antonio was... cheating on him?

Romano scoffed as tears began to blur his vision. "Fuck you! I never want to speak with you again!"

Before Antonio could say anything else, the other turned on his heels and fled from the room.

No no this couldn't be happening. He was supposed to gain loving words from Romano not words of hate. This wasn't at all what Antonio wanted out of tonight. This was the complete opposite and exactly what he was fearing. He screwed up, didn't he? Now Romano thinks he's confessing to Francis.

"R-Romano! Wait!" Antonio suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, running after his boyfriend. Francis followed behind as well.

The trail of the Italian led them all the way to the ajar front door. Sleet and snow blew in from the open entrance as fresh footprints were stamped upon the snow outside. They grew smaller to the eye as it disappeared into the trees outside.

"Huh? What's going on, guys?"

"Where did Romano go?"

"The bloody hell are you doing opening the door?! It's freezing!"

Antonio was just about to run outside when three voices stopped his path. Turning, he saw Alfred, Arthur, and Kiku stopping before him. Each of them had the same concerned and confused look as each other as they looked out into the trees then back at Antonio.

"I-I did something." The Spaniard said, stumbling over his words. He had to get out there. He had to get Romano. "I screwed something up and I-I have to go fix it."

Fear and worry dripped off his words; his face was painted in utter regret. Why did he have to be so nervous about this whole thing? If only he didn't practice with Francis. If only he just winged it and said it as if no big deal. If only...

"Screwed up? Ah, did you forget to put on a condo-" The American's joking words didn't make it to Antonio's attention for the other instantly began running into the forest of trees to find Romano.

Immediately running out there the Spaniard felt frozen air smack him in the face. Blinking through the falling snow, he peered down at the floor to follow the Italian's footprints. Thankfully it wasn't snowing heavily since they were still new on the floor.

"Romano! Romano!" Antonio cried out into the dark shadows of the pine trees. No answer was received, causing a lump to form in his throat.

More trudging as he drove deeper into the forest, feeling his body tremble beneath the low temperatures. Where could he be? He couldn't have gotten that far. Green eyes scanned the sides of the faint pathway, snapping back to the footprints every couple of seconds. Where could he be?

"R-Romano! Answer me, please!" Antonio shouted through his chattering teeth. Sprinting now, he followed the footsteps all the way to a small clearing. When he entered, he heard the faintest sob as a hunched over figure could be seen in the middle. It was Romano.

"G-Get away from me!" The Italian cried out through his tears. "Go back to y-your French tramp!"

Antonio ran over to him, dropping to his side quickly. "N-No, Romano, you got it all wrong! I don't love Francis! I-I love-"

"Don't lie to me! I saw you! I heard everything you said! You told him you think he's beautiful and charming! You told him you love him with all your heart!"

"Romano, please listen!" Antonio spoke desperately, trying to connect eyes with the other who held his head down. "I don't love Francis! I was just saying those things to him because I was practicing on saying it to you! Romano, I love _you_! Not Francis! You!"

The Italian sniffed, his warm tears still falling onto the snow beneath him. "Wh-What?" Slowly, looked over at the man beside him.

"I love you." Antonio sighed, relieved he finally got it out. Of course, he didn't want it to be in these circumstances with Romano doubting him and both of them freezing on a mountain. But that didn't matter now. He got it out. He said those precious words.

The two stared at each other for just a moment before Romano's saddened expression turned into his signature frown. Yet, now there was the slightest touch of happiness in his eyes as he did so. "I love you to-"

 _Snap_

The breaking of a tree branch ceased any more words between the two lovers. Antonio quickly turned his head to see where the sound coming from but found nothing. The winter wind was the only noise he could hear and the millions of snow particles falling were all he could see.

Suddenly, a loud hissing sound echoed all around them. It was like the hiss of a vicious snake and pissed off cat were combined as one to make a louder and much more chilling hiss. It sent chills down the two's spines as they stared wide eyes at the forest around them. Almost instantly after the hiss, a large flame erupted from the pathway. Following the flame was the blurry outline of a man walking towards them.

"Romano... run." Antonio whispered urgently, grasping the other's hand in his. "Run!"

In a second, the two jumped up from where they were and dashed away from the unknown figure. They passed through trees, ducking under any branches, and striding over any rocks that came across their path. Their labored breaths were the only thing drumming against their ears as they ran. Where do they go? They were way off the pathway now and the cabin was towards the danger.

Romano held tightly to Antonio, silently praying that everything will be alright. Antonio held back as well as he tried find some place to take them to safety. There was no where.

After what seemed life forever, they reached the edge of a mountain ledge. End of the road. Antonio suddenly halted to his steps as he pulled Romano close to him.

"This is it. W-We're trapped!" Romano exclaimed, fresh tears tracing over his already existing frozen tear streaks.

Antonio panted where he was, turning from left to right as he tried to find some place to go. He was about to lead them back into the forest from the ledge but stopped when that monstrous hiss pushed him back.

He intertwined his fingers with Romano as he slowly walked backwards from the forest. "R-Romano... I don't know wh-what to do."

Romano walked backwards as well beside him, frequently looking back to make sure they didn't fall off the ledge. He shook his head vigorously, cries breaking through his words. "W-We have to do something! W-We can't die out here!"

Antonio gulped, not even paying attention behind him. What was out there? He squinted as he tried to figure out what was there. Just barely he could see what looked like a large, white skeleton hanging on a branch of a tree. We're those claws or hands? What the hell was that?

"A-Antonio!"

Romano's foot slipped as he stepped on the very edge, suddenly sending them down off the ledge. Antonio was pulled down as well but quickly managed to grab hold of a tree root that poked out from the bottom part of the ledge. Now, he was holding on for both his and Romano's life.

Screams came from the Italian below him as he frantically held onto the Spaniard's hand. He stared up at the other as Antonio tried all he could to pull him up. It was no use. The cold air made his bones and muscles freeze up and become numb. He simply could not pull Romano or himself up.

"Help! Help! Someone please help us!" Antonio screamed into the night. Cries and screams boomed from the both of them as they desperately tried to hang on for another day. They couldn't die here. They couldn't die here. They were supposed to be with their friends! They were supposed to be in the warm cabin and hanging out! They were supposed to have a memorable night with another yearly tradition in the cabin! They weren't supposed to die out here.

One slip up. That's all it took. One slip up.

Antonio's grasp on the tree root released against his will. The two men suddenly began falling down from the mountain, their screams descending with them.

Romano watched the world around him fly upward as he fell. He stared up at the moon above him as if it was silently wishing him a forever goodnight. This was it, wasn't it? This was it.

The last thing the Italian saw was darkness engulfing him and Antonio as they fell into what seemed like a dark cave. Maybe it was the mines Alfred spoke about. Whatever it was, he never got to see what it was.

Romano fell directly onto a damp rock, instantly shattering his back. Antonio fell harshly beside him. Both lied on the mine floor in silence as blood began to pool beneath them. Their still, cold hands still held on strong as the color in them began to drain. No more hissing. No more cries. No more screams. No more tears. They were no more...

 **_**  
 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! I hope you liked this prologue. If you guys didn't know, this is going to be a crossover with Hetalia and the game Until Dawn. It's not an exact crossover that'll follow the exact storyline of the original game because I'm adding my own little twist to it. :)**

 **I'm actually really excited for this story and I hope to update this weekly or at least every two weeks! This story is going to be (hopefully) really packed and one of those stories with long chapters. The more the merrier, right? Haha.**

 **Anyways, I really hope you liked this introduction! Please please leave me your feedback and thoughts in the comments/reviews! I want to hear what you guys think of this idea!**


	2. Character Descriptions

**Alfred F. Jones**

 _Outgoing_  
 _Energetic_  
 _Impulsive_

Best friends with Kiku  
Step brothers with Matthew

 **Matthew Williams**

 _Quiet_  
 _Reserved_  
 _Forgotten_

Step brothers with Alfred

 **Feliciano Vargas**

 _Gullible_  
 _Kind_  
 _Optimistic_

In a platonic relationship with Gilbert  
Brother of Romano Vargas

 **Gilbert Beilschmidt**

 _Brave_  
 _Smart_  
 _Aggressive_

In a platonic relationship with Feliciano  
Best friends with Francis and Antonio

 **Kiku Honda**

 _Introverted_  
 _Serious_  
 _Clever_

Best friends with Alfred

 **Francis Bonnefoy**

 _Calm_  
 _Romantic_  
 _Good Hearted_

Boyfriend of Arthur  
Best friends with Gilbert and Antonio

 **Arthur Kirkland**

 _Stubborn_  
 _Moody_  
 _Serious_

Boyfriend of Francis

 **Romano Vargas**

 _Rude_  
 _Extroverted_  
 _Semi nice_

Boyfriend of Antonio  
Brother of Feliciano

 **STATUS: UNKNOWN**

 **Antonio Fernandez Carriedo**

 _Kind_  
 _Happy-go-lucky_  
 _Patient_

Boyfriend of Romano  
Best friends with Francis and Gilbert

 **STATUS: UNKNOWN**

 **_**  
 **A/N:**  
 **Just a little character description for the story like how it is in the game.**  
 **Don't worry, I'll be posting a legitimate chapter soon. :)**  
 **-MM**


	3. Gathering

Gilbert glanced down at his phone screen, seeing it illuminate as a text popped up. Sliding the notification to the right, his phone unlocked to reveal the whole text message.

 _[Alfred]_  
 _"Hey! You guys here yet? :D"_

It was a whole year since the missing of their two friends: Romano and Antonio. The following dawn of their disappearance, Alfred called the police to file a missing person report. He was all for going out into the forest to find them, but Arthur held him back and saying it was too dangerous. So, the group stayed inside and decided to call the police. The police didn't come until the afternoon the next day.

Ever since then, they've been searching for Romano and Antonio. They searched intensely for two months after their disappearance. After two months, they began to lose hope in the whole investigation and decided to disband it. They concluded they were most likely dead or runaways. This obviously enraged the group of friends- especially Feliciano. The poor Italian was in utter distress for a majority of that year. He would often beg the police officers to continue the investigation seriously but they had already given up.

That's when Gilbert and him began to become closer. The 18 yr old albino would often come over to his house and simply talk to him and just give him some company to make sure he was okay. Feliciano slowly eased into it and soon began to feel better with the help of Gilbert. Of course, he still ached for his brother but now didn't have to deal with the grief alone.

Their relationship stitched into a very strong platonic one. Gilbert would hangout at Feliciano's house every day, or the Italian would hang out at his. They became the inseparable best friends.

"Who was that?" Feliciano questioned, looking over at Gilbert. They were on the bus to the foot of the mountain where they would take the sky tram up to the lodge.

The Prussian looked over. "It was Alfred. He asked if we were there yet."

Nodding, the Italian looked back at his own phone as he began to play the video Alfred sent to all of them, them as in the group:

 _"This thing on? Oh yeah it is!" Alfred was standing in the middle of his living room, rubbing his hands as he spoke. "Hey guys! Well, it's come to that time of the year. I know the last time we took a trip to the lodge it didn't turn out as we expected... The loss of Antonio and Romano was and is hard on all of us. But, that shouldn't conflict with our yearly tradition right? So! I'm trying to round up the ol' group so we can continue with our little tradition!"_

 _He laughed for a few seconds before rubbing the back of his head._

 _"I know it'll be a bit awkward and off without Toni and Romano, but let's still try and have a good time. So come on. Let's go back for another night. Let's dedicate this hang out session to Romano and Antonio. Who's with me?"_

 _Alfred smiled before slapping himself in the forehead._

 _"Psh! Right. I'm recording this. Ha! Well, after I send this and y'all watch it, message me back if you're in. Aight. Bye homies!"_

 _End of video._

Feliciano closed his message app and locked his phone. It wasn't surprise that everyone agreed to come back. The Jones' yearly cabin trip was usually the highlight of their year. With the events that happened, it was obvious everyone needed a little cheering up.

"It's going to be odd going back." The Italian mumbled, looking outside the bus window.

Gilbert looked over at him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. It'll be alright."

A smile was exchanged before the two before they both looked outside for the rest of the bus ride.

...

"How much slower does this thing have to go? I feel like we've been on this for forever."

"Relax, Arthur, it's only been five minutes. Beside, it's slow for our safety."

"If it continues to take so bloody slow I won't need protection over my safety because I will already be dead from frost bite!"

Francis and Arthur sat bundled up in the tram cart as it slowly made its way up the mountain. The sun was just barely peaking over the mountain peaks as it melted into the snow below. The Brit shivered where he sat, casting a frown to the world below him. He hated the snow. Of course, he was used to it but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. Plus, coming back up to the mountain that their friends disappeared on just slightly made him uneasy.

"You're that cold, non?" Francis said with a tiny smirk. He scooted over closer to Arthur and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. "I can keep you warm, mon amour. Your poor, unfeeling heart can't even take this cold."

Arthur gave a little scoff and averted his eyes from the blonde. "Yes. I am cold. You're just now realizing that? What do you think I was ranting about on our way up here?" Despite freezing to the bone, a warm blush spread across his pale cheeks as he secretly enjoyed the Frenchman's comforting embrace.

The two have been dating for the past five months. It took the group by surprised when they announced their relationship since everyone assumed they were more enemies than lovers. The only words ever to be exchanged by them were teases and insults. It was even a bit surprising to Arthur and Francis. However, deep down they knew they both cared for each other very deeply and underneath all that 'hate' and arguing was love.

Francis rested his head against Arthur's shoulder after a while, smiling contently. In his opinion, he was quite happy Alfred arranged for this meet up again. Even though the last trip up here was filled with distress and despair, he believed if they all came back again something nice would come out of it. Maybe it would reunite the friends again. Silly, extremely unlikely chance but hey, Francis was full of hope.

Unlike his boyfriend, Arthur wasn't feeling too chipper on returning. Coming back to an isolated cabin lodge where their friends disappeared mysteriously and never found didn't give him the slightest bit of hope or good feeling. It gave him the sense that something bad was going to happen again and it wasn't going to be a good traditional trip once again. Then again, that could just be his pessimistic, negative view on things.

"Alfred better have a heater in the cabin." Arthur grumbled.

A light laugh escaped Francis as he looked over at the Brit. "I'm sure he'll have something for you." His lips curled into a sly smile as he leaned over a bit to ever so slightly touch his lips to Arthur's ear. "Don't worry, Arthur. If you're still cold, I'll make sure to warm us both up all night. Sounds fun, non?"

Arthur felt his face burn a bright red at that as he shakily let out a flustered scoff. "Q-Quit making me blush. I hate it when you do that."

Francis snickered, planting a kiss on the other's cheek.

"I know you secretly don't."

...

Alfred paced the parlor in thought as he waited for his friends to arrive. It was a couple minutes over 7 and their meet up time was 7:30. Of course, it did take some time to make it up the mountain. No one was present there besides the group of friends so every form of transportation would have to be done manually and/or by foot.

No one, including the friends, have been up on this mountain since their last trip. The only visitors that came were the few police officers who took hold of the investigation for Romano and Antonio. However, that ended months ago so it's been almost a year since anyone stepped foot on this mountain...

"Hey, Alfred? How come the lights are off?" Matthew halted Alfred's paced when he quietly entered the room. Violet hues stared innocently at his brother as his body ever so slightly trembled due to the cold.

Alfred shrugged, looking around. "I don't know. I think the generator's off or something. Dad always shuts it off when we aren't up here. He probably forgot to turn it on." He grinned over at Matthew, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I'll have someone come with me to turn it on. We just gotta wait for everyone else."

And the conversation stopped there.

Alfred had come up to the mountain with Kiku and Matthew. They came a bit early to open it up and clean up the dust that settled upon the furniture. Everything was left how it was. The burnt firewood was left uncleaned in the fireplace. The wine stained cup still sat alone on the kitchen counter from a year ago. It was as if they never left.

"Do you have any snacks here, Alfred?" Kiku questioned, coming through the door from the hallways. The American looked over and pointed over to the kitchen.

"Yeah, dude. I got some chips and soda. There's, like, other stuff in there if you want to check it out."

Matthew sat near the window, peering out at the swaying trees. Snow floated past as it sprinkled down from the sky above. It was a truly beautiful sight. The moon gave off an eerie feel to the shadows that engulfed the white coated pine trees. Outside held a thousand tales, each one of them aching to be told.

"Hello? Alfred? It's Gilbert and Feliciano!" A cheerful voice coated in a German accent was muffled behind the front door. Strong fists continuously knocked on the door until Alfred walked over and unlocked it.

Gilbert and Feliciano stood outside, snow piled up on their head and clothing. The albino flashed Alfred a bright smile and quickly shuffled in, the Italian following quickly behind.

"Welcome bros!" Alfred exclaimed, closing the door behind them. He laughed happily as the two arrivals sat down on the couch. "Y'all are the first to show up!"

"Really? I thought we'd be the last." Gilbert said, shaking the snow out of his hair. "Feli and I got side tracked with the little gun range by the sky tram." He chuckled, looking over at Feliciano.

Feliciano sat quietly, staring about the room with a heavy heart. It was uneasy for him to be back here. Knowing this was the last time he saw his brother. The last time he was here was when his brother went missing. Even though it's been a full year since the incident, Feliciano still felt as if it just happened yesterday.

Gilbert noticed his off demeanor and scooted closer to him. "Hey, it's okay. We're going to have fun here tonight, alright?" He smiled over at him, trying to cheer him up. "We're gonna be hanging out with everyone and just having a blast!"

When the invitation was first sent out, Feliciano had declined to go. It took a lot of convincing and comforting from the group to get him to, at least, think about it. Gilbert's visits and talks definitely was the stepping stone to actually get the other to agree to come. Nonetheless, he still was uneasy about being back up on that mountain.

"Alfred, open up! If you don't let us in this instant I will personally break this door down!" The angry voice of Arthur was harshly muffled behind the front door as his fists feverishly knocked on the wood.

Alfred went over and opened it up with a laugh. "Welcome yo-"

Arthur shoved his way inside, immediately diverging any introductions and greetings and directly sat down on the couch across from Feliciano and Gilbert. His normally pale complexion was even whiter underneath the little kisses the snow planted upon his body.

"I apologize for Arthur's rude behavior. It seems he managed to wedge a stick up his ass from one of the pine trees outside." Francis's figure came through the door, smiling over at Alfred. Alfred gave a little shrug, closing the door.

"Nah, it's alright. I expected a greeting like that from Arthur." The American snickered. He and Arthur had some history behind them, seeing as how they dated for a very short time before ending it. But that didn't conflict too much with their friendship.

Francis nodded, going over to sit beside his disgruntled boyfriend.

For a couple minutes, everyone stood or sat in an odd silence. There was a peculiar feel of waiting or someone else to come. However, everyone already arrived. This was everyone. Yet, 'everyone' didn't feel complete.

Last year, everyone arrived almost exactly in this order. Alfred waiting for them with Matthew and Kiku. Gilbert coming in first. Which was then followed by Arthur and Francis. Except, Romano, Feliciano, and Antonio would come together last. They would be laughing and joking as they walked in which always ended up with Romano getting annoyed over the littlest of things.

The Brit scoffed, breaking this silence. "Why is it cold in here? Do you not have a heater or fireplace that can warm it up? I'm not planning on freezing to death up here."

Alfred snapped his fingers, the reoccurring thought of the generator popping into his mind.

"Yes! I do have a heater, but the generator's turned off, I suppose." The American informed, all eyes turned to him. He looked over at Arthur. "Since you've so graciously reminded me of it, how about you go and turn it on?"

Arthur frowned over at the other. They always pushed at each other's buttons.

Francis sighed and smiled. "We'll go turn it on. Right, Arthur?" He took the Briton's hand in his, gradually pulling him off the couch and averting his glare from Alfred. With a huff, Arthur turned and went to the door.

"Fine. We'll go turn it on while you sit on your lazy ass up here."

Alfred's playful smile disappeared and a cold look crossed over his face. Before any further arguments could commence, the two men left the room to go to the generator.

Once again, a silence settled about the group of friends. It was a repetitive act to happen that Alfred was worried will continue. He invited everyone up here to move on and reconstruct the bond with them all.

Kiku rubbed the back of his neck, looking around awkwardly. "Um, I'm going to go get us some firewood from the basement. Just so we can warm up this place a bit more." Gilbert and Feliciano nodded to what was said, not saying a thing.

"I'll go with you." Alfred responded with a forced smile. "There might be some sweet ass games down there too we can play!"

With that, the two friends left side by side and down to the basement.

Which left the Canadian, German, and Italian.

"Hey, Gilbert?" Feliciano mumbled, not standing another silent moment. "I think I'm going to go take a nice bath. I feel the need to wash those pine needles and bird feathers off from the little gun range."

The albino nodded, smiling at the other. "Alright."

Feliciano smiled back then turned to leave the room. He trotted up the steps to where the large bathroom was to hop into the bathtub.

Now, only a Canadian and German were left. Gilbert sat back on the couch, looking at his fingers. Matthew bit his lip, shifting where he stood.

Everyone was so reserved and off about this whole trip. Partially, it was because a majority of them didn't feel right coming back to this lodge. Coming back to when they lost two friends. Coming back to the suspicious mountain that made two people just vanish out of thin air. However, all could agree they wanted to restore the uneasiness and grief that still lingered in their minds. All, even if they didn't want to agree, wish for everything to go back to how it was before.

"Mattie, you want to, I don't know, do something?" Gilbert said after a good five minutes of silence. "Everyone else seems to have left and done what they please. There must be something to mess around with here." He looked up, examining the old wooden surfaces of everything.

Matthew shrugged, looking around as well. "Al's dad has a mini library here... Maybe we can go check out the books they have?" He suggested, keeping his gaze from connecting with the other. Gilbert thought for a second before nodding.

"Okay, let's go." He stood up, Matthew following by his side. "Maybe, if we're lucky, we can find some naughty books. Knowing Alfred, he might some boobs and dicks to see."

Matthew felt his face redden at this, silently groaning. Gilbert and his brother were very similar, which made the blonde dread spending time with either of them. It was like having two irritating brothers around. But, everyone else had gone and Matthew didn't have the courage to decline.

"Okay... Whatever you say, Gil."

\- - - - - - -  
 **A/N:**  
 **Kind of a slow chapter, I know. This is a character development story. You'll get more in depth information in the upcoming chapters. Also, chaos will start to stir next chapter so :) yeah.**

 **(forewarning: there will be one NSFW scene in one of the upcoming ones. I don't normally write those but this has to do with the story. just to give you guys a heads up.)**


	4. Disbanded

The lodge had not been used in over a year. Even then, all its rooms weren't occupied for probably even longer. It's three story plus basement made it a massive maze and playground. There were rooms the group had never even explored despite coming up here every year for the past 4 years.

Secrets were wedged into every door space and corner of the place. Each one of them waiting anxiously to be set free.

"Where do you keep the firewood again?" Kiku questioned, opening up the basement door.

"I think they're by the boxes of old silverware." Alfred pointed over to a mass space of boxes and shelves, not really being specific on where he pointed.

Inside the basement was a vast room with many objects and furniture that was unused. There were all sorts of random things scattered about. From the entrance there could be seen a bat, books, a dollhouse, pots and pans, folders, and a metal chair. That was only the surface of the great sea of objects that could be found.

Along with the different objects were two separate fence gates that accessed a tunnel for each gate. No one ever traveled through there since they were usually locked and Alfred's parents advised them to not venture anywhere beyond the cabin lodge. However, the American and Asian didn't realize this, the gates were unlocked.

Kiku made his way over between the shelves, carefully stepping over a box filled with clothes that had fallen over. As he scanned the space for the firewood, Alfred wandered about to his own curiosity.

"Yo, you still into those anime shows?" Alfred asked with a little chuckle following his question.

"Of course I am." Kiku replied with a semi-shameful sigh. "You know I always watch those... Why?" Knowing Alfred, a joke was probably going to be the answer.

The American went to grab something, trying to stifle a laugh. "Oh, y'know. Just wondering. 'Cause last time you talked about it you were obsessing over this one show or game about this creepy ass girl murdering high school students."

The Japanese male shuddered, recalling his many nightmare filled nights after he played that game. "Yes, I remember." He had found the firewood by now and knelt down to pick some up. "It was a game. However, they did make it into an anime when people started to like it more. Personally, I thought the game was better since the story differed from the choices the player mak-"

"Boo!"

Kiku's informative chatter was cut short as a scream broke through his words. He jumped backwards out of fright as a messy long black haired doll hung before his eyes, it's moth eaten body reaching out before him. A string was tied around its neck which connected to a stick that was held by a cackling American.

"Haha! Oh my god, dude. That was priceless! Hahaha!" Alfred laughed, using his free hand to hold his side. "You should've seen your face! Man, I wish I would've recorded that!"

Kiku, who was now lying on top of the bundle of clothes on the floor, panted where he sat from the sudden scare. When he regained his breath, he glared up at Alfred.

"Y-You gave me a heart attack!" The 19 year old exclaimed, shakily getting back to his feet. Re-picking up the firewood he so carelessly dropped, he shimmed out from the shelves. "I swear, Alfred. You and your little pranks."

The American snickered, placing a hand on the other's shoulder. "Come on, dude. You know it was clever. You, too, like horror pranks and shit. You gotta admit, it was a good scare."

Pranks and scares were common with Alfred. He always was one to put in a good joke. Whether it was shaving an inch off of Arthur's eyebrows, making Feliciano watch a jump scare video, or even dressing up in a costume to scare everyone as a group. Of course, some were always irritated with his actions but there were the rest that loved to join in. Kiku was one of them.

"I suppose your right... You did manage to make me scream. That is a rare achievement that only few have acquired." Kiku smiled over at Alfred, his nerves calming down. Alfred grinned back, taking his handful of firewood.

"Woah! I scared the great Kiku! I deserve an award." He chuckled as they both began to walk out of the basement. "To this victory, I shall reward myself with a whole bag of potato chips. You with me?!"

Kiku let out a soft laugh, closing the basement door behind him.

"You know I always am."

...

Upstairs was where all the bathrooms and bedrooms were. There were five bedrooms to be exact and one main bathroom and one smaller one. The main bathroom had the large bathtub and shower. It was pretty fancy so it made it everyone's goal to bathe in the bathroom at least once that night.

Feliciano was lucky enough to bathe first in there before anyone else. It wasn't what he was trying to do but simply what he desired to do at the moment.

From the second he stepped foot upon the mountain, he felt that something was off. Of course, that was mainly because of the triggering contents this place held that tied in with his brother and his close friend. He didn't want to be miserable this trip since it was supposed to be a friendly trip with everyone gathered around again. So, he decided to take a bath to try and wash off any negative feelings and memories he had. That always seemed to help, in his opinion.

Stripping down to his bare skin, Feliciano turned the bath knob so the hot water flowed. As the water poured into the tub, his dazed hazel eyes stared at the steam that drifted up from the flowing liquid.

 _I remember the last night we were here. Romano wanted to go take a bath... I insisted I took one first since he always hogged up the warm water. How silly. Maybe if I just let him take one first he wouldn't have gone downstairs and seen Antonio practicing with Francis. Maybe he wouldn't of run out... Maybe he would still be here._

Feliciano gulped, feeling his eyes water a bit as he thought. No. No, he couldn't do this. He couldn't be sad this trip. He had to feel better.

Before it overflowed, the Italian reached over and stopped the bath water. Carefully, he dipped his foot into the water before full on stepping into it. He soon completely engulfed himself into its warm embrace, a little content smile pulling at the sides of his lips.

The warmth of the liquid hugging his naked body was so comforting to him. It was as if it absorbed all his grief and sadness and replaced it with pure serenity.

"Boo."

Feliciano flinched, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Wh-Who's there? Who are you?" The Italian mumbled, looking around for whoever had just spoken. It had been a low almost monstrous voice in the loud silence. No one was in the bathroom. The door was closed and he was the only person present.

His serenity was replaced now with his rapid breathing and rigid movements as he moved about the tub to look around him. The only other movement and life around him were the shadows of the trees branches waving outside and the little ripples and splashes of the water touching him.

 _Maybe I'm just imagining it... Yeah. I'm probably just nervous from being here. That's all._

Despite convincing himself he made up the laugh, Feliciano still was weary about being in the bathroom alone. Doing what he usually did when he was scared or didn't like being alone, he reached over and grabbed his phone from the side of the tub.

Opening it up, he tapped on Gilbert's contact. He began to type:

 _"Gilbert, can you please come up to the big bathroom? I'm scared."_

...

Outside seemed to only get colder since the friends arrived. Snow wasn't falling in great amounts but the temperature could instantly make water freeze if it was poured upon the ground.

Arthur and Francis trudged along the pathway down the lodge's porch and down to the back of the building to find the generator.

"Will you guys ever make up?" Francis sighed, following behind the stiff Englishman.

"You try being with that buffoon. I can't stand him." Arthur grumbled, shoving some branches out of his way.

Francis raised a brow, ducking over the branch instead of angrily slapping it away. "But, you and Alfred were so close when you two were kids. You would always hang out at his house and you both were inseparable."

A scoff came from the Briton as he halted momentarily to turn around to face the long haired blonde. "We grew up and we dated for two weeks. That's when I realized how much of a bugger he really was. Him and his annoying jokes and excessive talks and lack of personal space and-"

He was cut off when Francis put a finger to the other's lips, a tired look passing over his stare. "Mon Cher, please don't fight with him. At least for this trip. Remember, we came back here today to hang out with nothing but good feelings. Don't bring back your guys' past quarrels."

Arthur frowned at the other, taking a while to finally compromise with what he said. He rolled his eyes before taking Francis's finger off his lips.

"Fine. I'll stop bickering with him. Only for tonight though." He added in the last part quickly, implying to the Frenchman that he should not push him over his limits.

Francis smiled brightly, leaning over and planting a quick kiss on the other's lips. "Good! Now, let's turn on the generator. It'll be nice to hang out in light and warmth."

With that, the two walked over to the large metal generator that was attached to the side of the lodge. He was knowledgeable of machinery and technology for his sister, Michelle, was always interested and babbling about it. Francis, being the kindhearted and loving brother he is, listened to her and learnt about it with her so she could have someone to mess around with machines with. Opening up the compartment, Francis fiddled with some knobs and buttons before flipping on the switch.

Nothing.

"Huh? Shouldn't there be lights turning on?" Arthur asked, looking up at the windows of the lodge. Darkness still engulfed inside, making it clear the generator didn't work.

Francis continuously flipped the switch on and off to see if it started to work. It didn't.

"It must be broken." He concluded, putting his hands to his hips. Arthur let out a groan.

"Great. This is just perfect!" The Brit exclaimed with fake cheer. "No power! You know what that means? No heater. You know what that also means? We're going to freeze our arses off all night. Bloody brilliant."

Francis chuckled, putting an arm around his tense boyfriend. "Ah, don't be such a grouch, Arthur. I'll keep your warm tonight if that's the case. Besides, I'm sure there's something around here we could use to start this thing up. Didn't Alfred mention last year that there was a tool shed somewhere?"

"Yeah, but it's some walking distance from here." Arthur muttered, leaning into the embrace. "I don't feel like walking around in a forest in the middle of the goddamn night."

"Well, it's either taking a short walk and fixing this or going back inside and freezing all night long."

Silence came from Arthur before he let out a short sigh. "Okay, we'll go. You lead the way though. I am not walking first."

The Frenchman smiled at the other, grasping his hand in his.

"We'll walk together."

With that, the two began walking down the pathway that led away from the lodge. The moon was coming up from the East, casting elongated shadows of the pine trees upon the pure white path.

Francis took out his phone, tapping Alfred's contact. He began to type:

 _"Arthur and I are going to the tool shed to fix the generator. We'll be back soon."_

...

On ground floor of the second floor of the lodge were the lofts and office rooms. This also held the mini library the Jones's had that Matthew spoke of.

Gilbert glanced around the small library when they first entered, looking for a good book or magazine to gaze upon.

"Man, there's a lot of books here." The albino breathed in surprise, his unusual dark red eyes scanning about the room. The Canadian beside him nodded.

"Mr. Jones always kept a good collection." He informed, calling his step dad in a formal way. "He even keeps them organized in specific categories."

Gilbert snickered, a smirk playing upon his lips. He stooped down a bit, eyes roaming about the bindings and genres he could find for a book to satisfy his desires.

Matthew watched the other awkwardly, always being tense and anxious in social situations. Usually when it came to the group of friends, he would never have one on one conversations with anyone. Everyone had a pair they kept to. Arthur was with Francis. Alfred was with Kiku. Gilbert was with Feliciano. That's how it usually was. Matthew was always the outsider among them all. He commonly thought he was just someone dragged along by his step brother. Being in a situation where he was a part of a pair was very awkward for him, but kind of nice all the same.

"So, Mattie, how've you been?" The Prussian asked, not taking his eyes off the shelves of books. Matthew jumped a bit at the question, unsure of how to answer.

"I-I've been okay." He replied, a smile coming across his lips. Wow, someone actually wanted to know how he was doing. "I just finished high school so I've been looking in to find a college to go to. It's challenging though since there's so many I want to attend and apply for."

Gilbert glanced over at the other before returning back to the books. "College? Extra school, gross." He snickered, tapping the corners of the books with his finger as he roamed. "What do you want to major in?"

The new question only made Matthew smile more. This was an actual conversation. Someone was digging deeper to speaking with him. Trying to hide a little giggle, the Canadian shrugged.

"I want to major in cooking. Or maybe science."

Gilbert laughed shortly, raising a brow. "Cooking? Science? I never knew those interested you. How come?"

Matthew smiled wide, enjoying the feel of talking to someone about his passions. "I-I love exploring the different foods you could cook with. It's interesting to see the different combinations and meals you can make. And, with science, I like to see how many things you can create with different chemicals and such. Also how much life there is that our naked eye can't see."

Gilbert nodded, pulling out a book from the shelf. "That's interesting. I never thought of cooking or science in that way." He said as he flipped through the pages of an adult book.

This wasn't a big deal to Gilbert but it was to Matthew. The blonde couldn't believe how far into a conversation he was getting himself into. Usually, the farthest he would've gone was 'how are you' and it would've ended there. But now, now he was given the opportunity to express his wishes and future. No one ever gave him that chance. Maybe things will change for the better.

"What made you interested in cooking and science? Beside the whole creating stuff." Gilbert asked absentmindedly, his eyes locking onto the risqué images inside the book.

Matthew blushed a bit, his chest becoming light. "W-Well I've always been interested in them. My mom always cooked with me and-"

 _Ding_

A text tone interrupted the other's joy filled answer as a light flashed in Gilbert's pocket. The albino put down the book quickly and pulled out his phone, unlocking it to see the message.

 _[Feliciano]_  
 _"Gilbert, can you please come up the big bathroom? I'm scared."_

"I have to go. Feli needs me." Gilbert spoke quickly, carelessly putting the book back on the shelf. If Feliciano was scared or needed him, Gilbert would be there in a second.

Matthew opened his mouth to ask what was wrong and just to keep the conversation from ending but was too late. The older male already rushed out of the room and left. It was as if the conversation was empty and only meaningful to the Canadian.

Matthew stood there in the silent library, staring at the doorway that the Prussian sprinted through just moments before. Huh. Guess he still didn't matter. Even then, he'd would be forgotten about in an instant. Just like that, he'd be left alone.

Sighing, the Canadian turned to the bookshelf and lowered his head so his forehead rested against the multiple bindings. At least the books and cleverness embedded in them kept him company.

...

 _"Such an interesting tale. A group of friends hanging out whilst thinking how innocent a night within the lodge could be. Wouldn't it be terrible to see their innocence be stripped away?_

 _What do you think? You'll be the person who takes it away from them."_

 **A/N:**

 **Just to explain the chapters: Each chapter will be separated into each pair/person's parts. I thought it'd be best to do since that's how the game is when it's separated into chapters. I plan on having a lot of chapters for this story sooo don't expect this to end soon lol.**

 **Sorry if this is a little slow. It'll start building up the next chapter ;)**

 **Also, don't forget! This story won't follow EXACTLY how the game is! The characters roles aren't the exact same as how they are in the game! (One character is still the 'Josh' of the story and the twins' roles are obviously Roma and Antonio) but beside that, none of them are like a Sam or Mike.**  
 **\+ the scenes that play out in the game won't all be in the here. It's just the main concept and idea of it all.**

 **^I wanted to make it enjoyable for both those who played the game and those who haven't.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews!**


	5. Let the Games Begin

Alfred walked up the steps with an arm full of fire logs as Kiku did the same but with a smaller amount. It was still chilly in the room so the American got the implication that the Brit hadn't fixed the generator yet.

"What the fuck is taking Arthur and Francis so long?" He questioned a bit irritably. Kiku had set his fire logs in the fireplace by now, attempting to strike a match to light it up.

"Maybe there were some complications. You know how old the generator is. No one's used it in a year so it's bound to have some issues." The Japanese male informed. A bright fire soon erupted within the fireplace, illuminating a faint amber in Alfred and Kiku's eyes. It wasn't that strong but it'll have to do.

The two men always have been friends. Their friendship branched out even to the late stages of elementary school. They would eat lunch together, play at each other's houses, mess around with people, and just have a blast as kids. Surprisingly, they remained best friends even through middle school and high school. Both were in their senior year at the moment, striving to finish off the year strong.

However, their intentions of 'finishing off the year strong' varied between them both.

Kiku wanted to get straight A's and get scholarships. His older brother, Yao, always pestered him to do well in school. Using words from his brother, 'grades are the most important thing in the world. If you have bad grades, you're going to have a bad life.' Kiku obviously listened to his older brother since the man was usually right. Besides, Yao was a professor at Stanford so of course his advice should be taken seriously.

Alfred, on the other hand, was looking for ways to have the most fun in senior year. He could care less about grades and getting scholarships like Kiku. Even if he did care, it wouldn't last long since the weight of all his C's and B's in his previous three years always killed that idea. So, he strived to join countless clubs and perform little pranks against the school teachers and certain students. Kiku thought his childish behavior was because of the fact his and Matthew's parents didn't really care much for their academic well being and since they were never around. Although, he had no say on Alfred's actions.

 _Ding_

A quick light flashed in Alfred's pocket as a text tone went off. Taking out his phone, Alfred looked at the message he just received.

 _[ Francdick ]_  
 _"Arthur and I are going to the tool shed to fix the generator. We'll be back soon."_

"Who was that?" Kiku asked, peering over to take a look at Alfred's phone.

Alfred let out a little laugh as he put his phone away without even replying.

"Francis and Arthur have to go to that old tool shed to try and fix the generator." He responded, smirking just a tad. "Ha. Maybe they'll get scared and pee their pants. That'll be a hoot, right?"

Kiku shrugged, going to sit down on the couch near the fireplace. He shivered as he did so, always despising the cold.

"I suppose... But, Alfred, how come you don't like Arthur? I thought you two were great friends. We used to hang out a lot in middle school, remember?"

It was true. Middle school was when Arthur and Alfred first met. They were paired up as a lab partners in science when they had to dissect a frog. At first, they didn't get along and only threw insults at each other, but that soon melted away into a friendship when they worked past their differences. Kiku, Alfred, and Arthur became a trio. They hung out every day, ate lunch together, were inseperable.

It wasn't until high school did things begin to change. Alfred and Arthur grew closer and soon developed feelings that were way out of the boundaries of a mere friendship. That led them to pursue a relationship. Their romantic life spread about the school like wildfire. Nearly everyone knew about it, and that wasn't something they were worried about. They were madly in love. However, it wasn't until that madness turned more towards the dark than the light.

It started with little disagreements like who chose what to do that night. Those disagreements flourished into arguments. Those arguments led to shouts and one or the other storming out of the room. Alfred argued Arthur was too possessive and didn't give him any freedom in the relationship. Arthur retorted that Alfred didn't take the relationship maturely and was too childish. The lists of arguments could go on and on. They broke up, not to anyone's surprise, and were never the same. Those two middle school boys who had such a unique friendship were no more.

Alfred and Kiku remained best friends as Arthur trailed off to hang with their other friends. The Brit found himself growing close to a certain Frenchman. The two became best friends which led to, well, that was something easy to figure out.

"Yeah, I remember." The American grumbled, frowning in thought. "Hard to forget such a bitchy time."

Kiku sighed, leaning back in his seat as Alfred went to sit beside him. Personally, he missed the days the three of them would hang out. It was so one of the most cherished moments he had in middle school. The three of them at the park: Alfred trying to get them to run around and play, Arthur scoffing and saying he'd rather play around with the creatures in the bushes, Kiku observing the two and making discussion. Those were the good times it was sad to see them come to an end.

"Won't you guys ever fully make up?" The Japanese man questioned. "You two were such great friends-"

"And now we aren't. Get over it, Kiku. Arthur and I aren't the same nor will we ever be."

...

Feliciano remained in the bathtub as he waited for Gilbert to come in. He was too afraid to move from where he sat in the now cold water. It chilled his bones but the eeriness of the room chilled him even more. That voice... Was it real? Was he going mad? Whatever it was, it freaked him out.

"Feli? Is everything okay?" Gilbert's concerned voice suddenly echoed about the walls as the albino entered. The Italian suddenly turned to him, peering over the rim of the tub to make sure it was really him. It was.

"Si, everything is okay." Feliciano responded as the Prussian walked over to sit on the edge of the tub. "I just... I got scared. I thought I heard something and, um, this place... It's unsettling."

Gilbert nodded, staring at the other. He stared at the worried younger male in tub shivering in the water. If anyone were to walk in, they would get the immature thought of Gilbert staring at Feliciano's naked body like some pervert. However, that wasn't so. The albino wasn't staring at the Italian for lust, which was a surprise since he usually was all for that. The meaning to all this was because of their special relationship.

The two were the closest friends could get, yet they were not a romantic couple. Romance did not suit them nor was it desired between them. They were in a relationship, yes, but a platonic one. They cared about each other very much but it was simply emotional. Gilbert cared for Feliciano like he was responsible for his well being. Feliciano looked up to Gilbert and saw him as a role model.

As the silence between the two stretched on, Feliciano felt the weight of his thoughts push him down even more. His face fell into a frown as despair coated his empty gaze. It was a mistake to come back. He should've just stayed-

"Come on," Gilbert broke the silence, extending his hand to the brunette, "you'll catch a cold. You'll feel better if you get out of the water."

Feliciano nodded slightly, taking the other's pale hand. He stood up and stepped out of the tub, sending harsh ripples through the used-to-be still water. Its splashes filled his ears as the cold air pricked at his wet body. Cringing at the feel, he watched Gilbert begin to unfold a towel. As he did so, Feliciano couldn't help himself anymore.

A cry erupted within in the room, causing Gilbert to jump. Before he knew it, Feliciano fell to his knees as his shoulders shook with his sobs.

"H-Hey, it's okay, Feli." He said softly, pulling the trembling man into his arms. Feliciano leaned into the embrace, muffling his bawls into the other's shoulder. Gilbert continued to hold onto the other, not even carrying that his clothes had begun to dampen with both tears and bath water.

"I-I shouldn't of come here. I shouldn't of come here. I shouldn't of come here." Those words repeated over and over between the cries coming from distressed other. It was painful to hear such things come from him. Gilbert thought he was doing better.

Gently, The Prussian raised his hand and gently stroked Feliciano's dripping hair. "Sh.. it's okay. Calm down." His voice was soft and coated with as much care as he could manage. "You should've came; we all are so happy to have you here."

Feliciano shook his head, his cries only growing. "N-No! It's not okay! I keep thinking of him! I-I keep thinking he'll be here but he isn't! They b-both aren't! They never w-will be..." Words transitioned into whimpers as he broke down once more.

There were nights where Feliciano woke up in a cold sweat and tears because of the loss of his brother and great friend. Their faces would show up everywhere he looked in the dream, their yells and screams deafening. He would reach out to try and grab them but he would always fall short. He would never be enough to save them.

"Do you remember Ludwig?" Gilbert's question stifled his cries. Ludwig. They never spoke about him.

Slowly, Feliciano nodded but remained silent.

Ludwig was Gilbert's late younger brother. He died when he was 8 years old; Gilbert was 16 at the time. The two were exploring in the park near their house, climbing up the tall trees. While they were climbing, Ludwig lost grip at the very top and fell to his death. He broke his neck and skull on a rock below, killing him instantly. Gilbert fell as well when he tried to save him but only suffered a broken leg and rib.

Gilbert continued. "Remember how I was when he died? I was devastated. I never left my house. You and Francis had to drag me out by my feet after my second week absent from school." A bittersweet chuckle escaped his lips. "I never thought life would ever be the same. I thought it would never be okay. But... Life goes on. It continues to drag you whether you like it or not. You just have to stand up and run along side it. It may seem hopeless now, but trust me, you'll be able to get through this. You have friends who are here for you. I'm here for you. I... I understand what you're going through."

Feliciano's cries died down as he listened, gradually understanding where the other was coming from. Right. He knew Gilbert spoke the truth. He knew what the other was saying was right.

"Th-Thank you." He choked out quietly, pulling back from the hug a bit.

Gilbert smiled, pleased to see his words of comfort actually did what he intended to do.

"It's no problem. Now, how about you get dried up so we can head downstairs."

Feliciano nodded, slowly getting back to his feet to dry off properly and slip into some clothes.

Just learn to let go. That's what was needed. But, how could you let go of something when you never even had a grasp upon it in the first place?

...

Matthew trudged back into the parlor when he heard Alfred's and Kiku's voices. A faint warmth consumed him when he walked into the room, seeing a bright fire flicker by the couches.

"Yo, Mattie!" Alfred greeted, pleased to have something to drive the previous conversation away from Arthur.

"Hey, Al." The Canadian replied softly, taking a seat in a chair a few spots away from them.

Kiku looked over at Matthew, raising a brow. "Where did Gilbert go? I saw him running up the stairs but wouldn't tell us what happened."

Matthew shifted awkwardly where he sat, giving a tiny shrug in response. Then, he elaborated, "I don't know... Something about Feliciano."

That conjured a soft 'ah' from the two boys. It wasn't a surprise, even though they both had no idea what was happening with Feliciano. Everyone in the group was concerned with the Italian coming back. They knew how rough he took the disappearance of Antonio and Romano. However, as a group, they concluded that maybe the way to make him feel better was to invite him back up; to give him a little sense of 'it's time to move on'.

Tough love, yes. But, they all tried so many things to help the other and this was the last thing on the list.

"I feel bad for the little dude." Alfred said, looking over at Kiku as he spoke. "I mean, it must be hard coming back here, y'know. I know it's hard for us all but him especially."

"I know." Kiku added on. "I couldn't imagine losing one of my siblings here then bringing myself to come back."

They spoke softly to one another, keeping the conversation between them two. This excluded Matthew from it but no one in the room seemed to care. It was a normal occurrence; nothing that was pondered on for even a second.

However, something about this 'normal' event quickly changed when an abnormality came into play.

 _Crash_

A picture above the fireplace suddenly fell off the ledge it was on, shattering the frame it was kept in. Alfred and Kiku both jumped in shock as Matthew trembled where he sat, petrified.

"Wh-What the fuck?!" Alfred exclaimed, voicing the thoughts of everyone in the room. He got up and cautiously walked over to the picture. Picking the corners with his index finger and thumb, he held up the photo to reveal a picture taken a few years back with his parents and Matthew. It was of their ski trip out in Canada.

Matthew gulped, hands shaking in his pockets as he saw something red written behind the picture Alfred was holding.

Turning it over, the American squinted at the words upon the back, feeling his blood turn cold.

 _"American blood spills more violently than others. It certainly is the most fun to play around with. Care to play around with me? Give me a chance to play. I beg of you all."_

Alfred screamed, immediately throwing the picture back down onto the glass shards. His pale face concerned both Kiku and Matthew when he stumbled backwards, falling at their feet.

"Wh-Who.. What.. I don't.." A jumble of words spilt from his mouth, not one of them making sense.

This was something you'd find in a horror movie, not you friends' hang out! Sure, Alfred played loads of horror games and seen countless movies, but to actually see something from one of them in real life was totally bizarre and freaky. It didn't make sense. Not at all.

"Alfred?.. What's wrong?.." Matthew questioned, getting to his feet. He walked over to his brother who remained staring wide eyed on the floor.

"Th-The photo..! On the b-back.."

Carefully, the Canadian leaned down to grab the photo his brother dropped. Turning it over, he squinted at the back of the photo to read what was written.

There was nothing there.

"There's nothing here, Al." Matthew informed, handing back the photo to his brother.

Alfred stared up in disbelief, snatching the photo from his hands.

"Wh-What?! But there was writing! I-It said it wanted American blood! It wanted t-to play! It said-!"

He flinched when a hand was put upon his shoulder, stifling his incomprehensible stutters. Kiku knelt beside him with the tiniest smile upon his face.

"You've been playing too many horror games." The Japanese man sighed, going down to clean the broken photo frame. "The wind probably knocked it over. There's a cold breeze coming from somewhere in here so that explains why it fell." He wasn't fazed by the little, sudden disturbance that occurred. It was as if he expected something like this to happen. "You probably just imagined it." Logical thinking always came from the other; usually always soothing Alfred's fears.

However, that didn't work now. Alfred knew what he saw and he was puzzled as to why it disappeared. It was there, he knew it. Whatever the writing was, it existed and it was written right there on the photo.

As Kiku continued to talk about how it was just the wind, a low laugh softly echoed from the walls. Alfred gasped, looking around in horror. No one was there who laughed.

Kiku was too busy talking to notice. Matthew didn't seem to acknowledge it, but simply watched Kiku clean up.

 _Something wasn't right..._ Alfred thought, _I think there's someone else on the mountain. Someone who wasn't even invited._

 _..._

The tool shed was a quarter of a mile away from the lodge. It was near the sections Mr. and Mrs. Jones instructed the friends to not venture out in, but there was no choice. There was no way they would want to last the night with lit candles and silence. So, Francis and Arthur walked on towards the tool shed to gather the things they needed to fix the generator.

As they walked, Arthur shoved his hands into his jacket pocket and stayed very close to Francis.

Around them tall pine trees towered in the sky; their pine needles sprinkling the soft, white ground before them. Tiny flakes of snow floated down from the skies, carefully settling in on the two's bare heads. Birds chirped quietly around them, complimenting to the gentle breeze that rustled the trees together. It was a truly beautiful setting to be engulfed in. However, its extravagant beauty almost seemed too good to be true. Its aesthetically pleasing view has shadows; shadows that taint the awe of its beholders.

"Arthur, wait." Francis halted in their walk towards the tool shed to stop and stare at the scenery. They were on a small bridge now. It looked out on the world below and the tips of the mountains around.

"What is it?" The Briton inquired, staring at the Frenchman rather than the scenery the other was focusing on.

"It's so beautiful... The world." Francis breathed, reaching over to take Arthur's hand from his pocket so he could hold it. Arthur allowed him to, his cheeks burning a dark crimson as he did so. "Just look, Arthur. Isn't it beautiful? You can perfectly see the stars above the mountains. They're ever so softly illuminating the white mountain tops. You can just barely see past the peaks to where more of the world rests. To think: just below us is wildlife. Countless deer and birds live below this mountain; even on this mountain. Up here, we can view it all."

Arthur looked out to where Francis's attention was directed. It was common to hear his boyfriend speak in such a descriptive tongue. He always pondered upon the many beauties in life. Whether it be people, places, random things, sayings, etc. He always found the beauty in everything. Arthur, on the other hand, never cared to focus on things. If anything, he always saw the negativity in everything. Such a contrast between the two lovers. However, surprisingly, their differences are what brought them together.

Francis teaches Arthur how beautiful the world is; Arthur shows Francis the logical truths and thinking that make up the world.

"I see dirt. Can we go now?" Arthur observed, pulling Francis away from the sight. "The longer we stay out here the colder it gets. I just want to get back to the lodge with everyone else."

That wasn't happening.

"You need to learn how to cherish the beauties in life, mon amour." Francis followed along, now wrapping his arm around the other as they walked. "It's comforting to acknowledge the world you live in. I don't see how anyone could live such a life without even being aware of what a wonderful place they live in."

A light laugh escaped Arthur's lips at that. "I don't need to observe the world to find its beauty. All of that is seen within you, Francis. Your eyes alone captivate the physicality and aesthetic of the Earth. You're my world and all my acknowledgement on 'beauty' goes to you. Nothing is as beautiful as you; and I don't want to waste any attention on secondhand beauty."

"Arthur!" Francis exclaimed with a huge smile. He leaned down and planted a kiss upon the other's already red cheeks. "You never say such loving words! Tonight must really be a special night, non? You, pouring your heart out to me in pure romantic words. Tu me rends fou! Mon chéri, je ne peux pas vivre sans toi*!"

Laughter mixed in with flustered stutters as the two continued to walk down the pathway.

"Q-Quit it! I tell you loving things all the time!" Arthur grumbled but grinning ever so slightly.

"My dear, calling me a 'wanker' and saying I look like a slimy amphibian are not loving things." He snickered, tightening their little embrace as their journey continued. This earned him a scoff and a light jab to the ribs.

They were always the bickering two were always arguing in their group of friends. When Arthur was still close to Alfred and Kiku, him and Francis were practically enemies. They couldn't stand each other and never past by each other without throwing an insult. That all changed when things between Alfred and Arthur began to stir and break, leaving Arthur drifting apart from the American. Francis was there, despite disliking him at the time, to help him through his break up. That's when the two began to grow closer to one another. Which then led to them become fond of one another and onto them developing a romance.

 _Crack_

A branch snapped before their pathway, causing the two men to jump.

"Francis-" Arthur whispered but was shushed when he felt the other's fingers pressed against his lips. Francis looked around them, intently listening.

Suddenly, a loud hiss mixed in with some incomprehensible sound pierced through the air, draining all the color in their faces.

"Arthur run... Run!" Francis said urgently. Before Arthur could process anything that was said, he was being dragged down the pathway, going on a different route from the tool shed.

What was that? Where did the hiss come from? What made the branch fall? What was going on? All these questions piled up in Arthur's brain as trees blurred past him as he ran beside Francis. The hisses grew louder now as the cracking of more branches were heard. As they ran, Francis's eyes darted left and right to any place they could hide in. They didn't get a glimpse at what was chasing them, but what they did know is that they needed to get away as fast as they could.

Behind them, whatever it was gradually faded away. Arthur swore he heard a roar and felt a sudden impact of warmth but he didn't look to confirm anything. Instead, he just followed Francis through trees and over fallen wooden fences. Soon, the only sounds heard were the two's panting and hurried feet. The monstrous noises were no where to be heard.

"There!" Arthur whispered loudly. A small cabin could be seen just beyond a couple of trees. Without thinking twice about it, Francis dashed over to the cabin. There were no lights on nor any sign of life inside. No one was inside which granted the two men a comfort in going out to hide there.

Reaching the porch, Francis pushed the door open and shoved Arthur inside. He followed behind quickly, slamming the door close behind him. They both collapsed to the floor, struggling to breathe through their panting. No words were exchanged for a while due to both trying to figure out for themselves what just happened.

"What..." Francis breathed.

Arthur blinked, staring wide eyed at the door. "What the bloody hell was that?!"

"I have no idea..." Francis mumbled, trying to steady his breath. "It sounded.. like a wild animal or something."

That was the end of their brief conversation on what happened outside for they retired back into their own blank minds, processing what events just occurred. Outside was as still as it was before, the only movements coming from the falling snow from the sky above. The sudden silence was chilling. It was as if the event that just occurred out there was normal and the forest was used it. It was as if it was already forgotten.

"Bloody hell..." Arthur groaned, pushing himself off the floor. His brows furrowed in irritation as a sudden thought popped into his mind. "If that bloody thing is out there, that means we're trapped in here! Which means we're stuck until who knows when!" He crossed his arms and let out an angry sigh.

Francis stood up as well. "Don't worry... It's better to be safe than sorry, right? Besides, we'll be safe in here."

"Oh, yes! Safe in this bloody cabin! But have you forgotten, we are suppose to be with the others and not stuck here! What are we even going to do?! All our stuff is up there and there's nothing here that could at least be of interest." He huffed, staring over at Francis.

It was true. There was not much here to do or use for both time passing and safety. However, that wasn't so for Francis.

"Well... You know..." The Frenchman said, running his hands down Arthur's arms and placing them on the other's hips. "We could always keep each other warm. You were complaining about the cold... I could keep warm you up in the meantime, my love."

Arthur felt his face flush with color, getting what the other was implying. It seemed absurd to think that right now they both thought of doing the same thing, but what else was there to do. Besides... Gotta make the best out of this situation, right? With a soft chuckle he let the smallest smirk play across his lips.

"We are alone here with nothing to do. Might as well."

...

 _How are you enjoying this so far? Are you pleased with how things are going? Your plan is in motion. The anticipation of hearing your friends scream in terror is eating at your heart. Are you excited to see the rest of your morbid prank unfold?_

 **A/N:**

 **Yeah, next chapter will have an NSFW scene involving sex. Don't worry, I'm not writing it for pleasure, it will have an actual meaning to it. It is significant to the story and a certain character's development.**

 **Also, explaining Feli and Gilbert cause I know I'll get those people pointing out he's naked and all- I purposefully made it so Feliciano was naked throughout all that while Gilbert hugged him and comforted him. It was to show how just because someone is nude doesn't mean there has to be anything sexual or romantic involved with it. Gilbert didn't think of it like that nor did Feliciano. They were simply two great friends talking whilst one tried to comfort the other. I wanted to bring awareness to that fact since today someone being in the nude (male or female) is seen as lustful and romantic no matter what.**

||  
 **Translation:**

 _ **Tu me rends fou! Mon chéri, je ne peux pas vivre sans toi**_

 **You drive me crazy! Honey, I can't live without you.**  
||

 **Anyways, please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews! I love to hear from you guys. :)**


	6. Brother

Gilbert helped Feliciano get back into his clothes without a word. No words were exchanged between the two. Only simple actions to complete a simple task. What was spoken about back in the bathroom wasn't brought back to light, fortunately for them both. However, the Prussian couldn't help but smile inwardly as he saw the Italian.

 _It looks like he's feeling a bit better about this trip. That's wonderful._

"Hey, Feli?" Gilbert said as they walked out of one of the bedrooms they put their stuff in. Feliciano looked over at him with a small tilt of his head.

"Yes?"

"Well, seeing how the two love birds haven't fixed up the generator, would you like to take a walk outside? It's peaceful out there and I remember us walking past this observation point with telescopes."

Feliciano let out a little laugh as he nodded. "Alright, sounds fun."

Both really wanted to take their mind off things and a little walk and view of the scenery didn't seem that bad. Besides, as Gilbert said, outside was pretty still. There appeared to be no dangers nor weather hazards beside the falling snow, then even that wasn't that much of a problem. The moon was high in the air which gave off the perfect glow, giving perfect light. It was perfect.

As they walked down the stairs, they passed by Alfred who was coming up from the basement. The American had a box in his hand and a wicked smile across his face.

"Hey, Al. What're you doing?" Gilbert asked, causing Alfred to halt in his steps.

Shifting the box in his hold, Alfred flashed him a smile and said, "Kiku, Mattie, and I are going to play with a ouija board. I found one my dad's stored in the basement. Wanna join, dudes?"

Feliciano let out an awkward laugh, being one to believe in such dark spirits and being a bit religious himself. He didn't want to meddle wth the underworld nor have it mess with him. As if he could read the Italian's mind, Gilbert shook his head.

"Nah, Feli and I are going to go walk around outside. Y'know, catch some of the nice scenery."

Alfred shrugged and went back to walking towards the kitchen to where the other two were.

"Suit yourself, ya pansies." He joked with a little snicker. "Have fun outside!"

...

The place Gilbert had spoken about was beautiful. It wasn't that far from the lodge but it wasn't necissarily that close it either. It gave them the perfect sight of being engulfed completely in the forest and in the midst of its winter wonderland.

They were in an open plain that looked out on a vast area of the forest. Telescopes rested near the edges and against the wooden fence that kept people from falling. Not much wildlife was seen, surprisingly. Only the occasional owl or squirrel that ran past. Beside that, it was still and peaceful.

"Hey, Feli, look!" Gilbert called the brunette over to one of the telescopes. He squinted into it and pointed a finger down below. "Check it out."

Feliciano went over and put his eye near the telescope. Squinting, he caught a glimpse of Francis and Arthur running into one of the guest cabins Alfred's parents told them they had. It was part of the places they were warned not to go, which confused the Italian as to why those two were running in there. Strange.

"Oh, they're getting some tonight!" Gilbert exclaimed loudly with a booming laugh. Feliciano laughed along as well, rubbing the back of his neck as he pulled back from the telescope.

"I guess... But, don't they know they can't be in that area?" Feliciano said softly. "Mr. Jones told us to stay near the cabin and not venture near those areas."

Gilbert made a dismissive hand wave, crouching down to pick up some snow. "No one cares when you're in love. Besides, let's not ruin their hot and steamy time, let's have some fun!"

At first, Feliciano thought Gilbert was going to throw the snowball at him. However, he was proven otherwise when he saw the snowball fly over his head and hit a nearby branch of one of the pine trees. An owl cooed loudly as it flew away from its branch, some of Gilbert's snowball coating its face.

"Let's play Snowball Shooting Range." The Prussian explained, gathering another snow ball in his hands. "Find a bird or squirrel or rat or whatever and throw a snowball at it. If you hit one, bullseye. If you don't, try again! Simple." He snickered, eyes scanning for an animal in sight.

Feliciano chuckled and stooped down to get a snowball of his own. It seemed like a harmless game. The snowballs wouldn't hurt the animals- it wasn't like it was actual bullets. Besides, it's all fun and games that sprinkled snow on the wildlife. Where's the harm in that?

He raised his arm to throw a snowball when he stopped as something caught his eye. It was something brown and red in the snow. It appeared to be some sort of bracelet but what it was exactly was hard to tell underneath the soft ice. Walking over their, Feliciano knelt down to take a better look. When he did, he felt something click underneath his foot.

Suddenly, there was snap. He quickly looked up and saw something zoom straight towards him. A bloody clown mask with sharp teeth flew right towards him, cackling loudly. Feliciano screamed and ducked his head as the clown mask partially smacked him atop his head.

"F-Feliciano!" Gilbert cried, running over to the cowering Italian in the snow. Frightened whimpers escaped the smaller male as he shook in the little pile of snow he curled up in.

The Prussian looked at the mask, that now hung stationary from one of the pine trees with a clear thread. Behind the mask was a little speaker, showing that's where the laughter came from.

"Hey, Feli, it's okay. It's okay." Gilbert comforted the other, rubbing his back gently. "Look, it's just a mask. It was just a mask."

Feliciano lifted his head slowly, eyes frighteningly locking on the hideous mask that hung in front of him. Just like how Gilbert said, it was indeed just a mask.

Blinking away any tears that escaped him, he shakily turned back to the object he found buried in the snow. Carefully, he picked up the red and brown object and looked over it.

It was skin from a cow, or some other animal with thick brown flesh. The skin was dried now so it was hard and couldn't be molded in your hand. Blood trailed the edges of it while small writing written in red pen or ink was made on the front: ' _You're next_.'

Feliciano gasped, dropping the skin immediately. He pushed himself against Gilbert, clinging onto the other jacket.

"I-I don't like it out here.. I want t-to go back.." He whimpered, closing his eyes tight as if it would make them magically poof back into the cabin lodge.

Gilbert nodded silently, slowly standing up with Feliciano attached to his arm. "Yes, let's go back." He said quietly, but lost in thought.

Something wasn't right. Was someone here trying to prank them? Hurt them? It was obvious that clown was set up along with the message. There was no way it just miraculously was put there by nature. Was there someone else amongst the group trying to get to them? If so, why? And more importantly, who?

...

"Alfred, are you sure we should do this?"

"Aw, don't be a wuss, Kiku. It'll be fine!"

"Al, you-"

"Guys, come on. We'll just ask a few questions, alright?"

Alfred had brought Matthew and Kiku over to the kitchen to mess around with a ouija board. It was underneath a bunch of the junk that littered the basement floor, just waiting to be played. Well, that's how Alfred explained it. When he proposed the idea of summoning spirits, Kiku and Matthew were completely opposed to the idea.

The night was chilling enough and Alfred just seemed to want to flourish in it.

"Are you sure this is smart?" Kiku interjected, folding his arms over his chest. "We shouldn't play this here on a lodge, alone on a mountain. It doesn't seem safe."

Alfred let out a laugh, already opening the box and setting it all up. The idea was already pinned in his mind and there was no way he was going to pass it up.

"It'll be fine; trust me! We won't anger any of them or whatever. We'll simply have polite conversation with the spirits. No harm in that."

The Canadian and Japanese male watched the enthusiastic American with a sigh. They knew there was no way getting out of this.

Matthew looked around the dark kitchen, feeling his nerves stand on end. Low howls of the wind caressed the windows as if threatening to barge in. The cool air in the room showed Arthur and Francis hadn't fixed the generator yet... Wasn't this a perfect time to talk to the dead?

"If we're doing it, please let Kiku be the leader." Matthew mumbled, causing Kiku to give a short gasp. "I trust him with conversing with the dead than you..."

Kiku opened his mouth to oppose but was spoken over by Alfred, "What? I'm trustworthy! It's not like I'm gonna curse this whole place."

No one in the room was stupid enough to let Alfred do it. The guy's been known to make irrational and stupid decisions that often led him or others to get in trouble. The last mishap he caused was stealing answers for test from the classroom himself. That resulted in him and some kid named Mathias getting thrown one detention.

After discussing, and barely dodging a brotherly fight, Alfred finally agreed to let Kiku be the leader. It was for the best and, truthfully, they all wanted to keep safe.

The board was set on the kitchen table, three chairs set around it. Two across from each other and one right beside the both of them. A candle was lit to add effect, set by Alfred. Kiku took a seat on the side while Alfred and Matthew sat across from each other.

"Put your fingers on the triangle thing, okay?" Alfred instructed, honestly not knowing proper labels for it. But that didn't matter to him.

The three of them hesitantly out two of their fingers on one of the sides of the planchette. Matthew trembled as he did so, scared of what was going to happen. He never used a ouija board before, but the simple thought of knowing his brother and Kiku did calmed him ever so slightly.

"Now, you ask the questions, Kiku." Alfred whispered, staring at the other.

Kiku gulped and stared down at the board. An eerie silence sent chills down his back as he struggled to get his words out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

The starter question to commence the welcoming and conversation of a spirit. For a moment, all was still. Alfred stared intently at the board while Matthew felt little beads of sweat start to form across his forehead. Suddenly, the planchette slowly shifted over to the corner of the board.

YES

"Oh God." Matthew breathed almost inaudibly, looking back and forth from Kiku to Alfred to see if they moved the piece purposefully. They didn't.

Kiku swallowed, thinking of a question to ask.

"Who.. Who is there? Can you tell us your name?"

This time, there was no hesitance in the movement of the piece. It's sudden slide across the board caught the three of them by surprise as they fixated their gaze to see what it was spelling out.

HELP

Kiku felt his blood freeze. Matthew's fingers on the planchette shook as his violet hues flickered with a fearful gaze. No one spoke or had anything to say, mostly because all were shocked and confused, so Kiku started to ask another question.

"Who needs help?"

Like the last time, there was no hesitance in moving. It moved quickly and in a jerky manner as they all tried to keep up with the letters being selected.

BROTHER

Brother? What could this mean?

"Oh shit.." Alfred breathed, his face paling at a thought. "Oh god.. Is this.. It can't be.." Matthew's eyes widened as he, too, got the same exact thought as his brother.

"N-No, it can't be... What if this is Romano?" Matthew mumbled, eyes wide with worry. Romano and Antonio haven't been found yet and the lingering thought of them being dead was upon them all, but they didn't want that to be confirmed. They still had an impossible belief that the two were still alive and well, just lost or not wanting to be found.

Kiku licked his lips nervously, afraid of the answer he may get with the next question.

"...Romano, is this you?"

His heart pounded in his ears as he saw the piece move all the way to corner of the board that read 'YES'.

"Oh no.. No, no, no.. This isn't right. This isn't right." Matthew whimpered, shaking his head as he averted his gaze from the board. "Guys, this doesn't feel right. This can't be.. This can't be Romano. No.. We should stop. Let's stop."

Alfred shook his head, now sitting at the edge of his seat as he stared at the board. "N-No. Kiku, continue. Let's find out what happened to them. Maybe he'll tell us what happened that time."

Was it safe to continue? Was it right of them to do so? Meddling in with the dead, conversing with the possible dead spirit of their lost friend who was never found? None of those answers mattered for they continued with the little 'game' nonetheless, however the questions still lingered.

Clearing his throat, Kiku asked: "How can we help you, Romano? What happened that night?"

This time, it took a while for the planchette to move across. It was as if the spirit was thinking about what to say. Slowly, the piece began to move about the board, it's gently scrapping wood the only sound in the room.

KILLED

No one spoke. All felt as if the air in the lungs had been stolen and the empty silence had taken over. Killed? That would explain their disappearance and police's inability to find them... But it was a fact that they wished to not believe. No, it couldn't be.

"How were you killed?" Kiku broke the silence, voice shaking lightly.

BETRAYED

"Betrayed?" Alfred mumbled, furrowing his brows a bit. He remembered that night Romano had dashed out of the house because he thought Antonio was cheating on him. Was this the betrayal he was talking about?

Suddenly, the piece on the board started to move without Kiku asking a question. A light squeak came from Matthew as he felt his fingers tremble even more as they read what was put next.

MINES - BEWARE

Kiku felt his breathing hitch at the words. Mines? Beware? They knew the mines weren't supposed to be visited. They knew the mines were warned about and said to not go near them. But they never thought it was because it was dangerous.

"What's down in the mines?" Kiku asked, curious for the answer.

The piece moved quickly once more as if it were in a hurry to rush out.

DANGER - LEAVE NOW

"I-I can't! I'm sorry, I can't do this!" Matthew exclaimed loudly, removing his fingers from the board. He buried his face into his hands as the others quickly retracted their hands as well. The piece on the board didn't move anymore and the three of them were left in silence.

Alfred stared at the board for a while, merely taking everything in. After a moment, he let out a shaky chuckle. "Well... That was interesting."

Truthfully, Kiku believed it was wrong of them to even play the ouija board. Who knew if that was truly Romano or some spirit playing a joke on them. Who knew if what was said by the board was true. If so, what did it mean by the mines? Why did it warn them about it?

 _Crash_

The three of them jumped in surprise as he sound of glass shattering pierced through the still air. Matthew's face turned pale as his hands twitched near his pockets. Alfred stared wide eyed at the doorway of the kitchen to where the sound came from. Kiku merely blinked, freezing up where he was.

"What the fuck was that?" Alfred whispered, walking over to kitchen exit. He disappeared around the corner, leaving the other two in silence once more. The night seemed to only be getting creepier and creepier.

A scream suddenly pierced through the air, causing Matthew and Kiku to gasp. It was Alfred's scream.

"A-Alfred? What's wrong?!" Matthew called out, running out of the kitchen to where his brother was. Kiku followed behind but stopped right before he turned the corner when he heard another scream.

It was Matthew's.

Along with the screams came the sound of bodies hitting walls and gasps. Soon, the sound of bodies falling the floor unconscious left the cabin in another silence. Kiku felt himself tense up at the ear shattering silence.

Suddenly, a man wearing a white, horrific mask turned the corner, standing right in front of the Japanese male. Kiku gasped and opened his mouth to scream as well but suddenly felt his vision go black.

The last thing he could remember was a low laugh as he felt himself drift off into darkness.

...

Warning: A wild NSFW/sex scene has appeared. Skip to the Author's Note of the story for a brief summary of what happened if you don't want to read it.

...

Seeing how they finally got some alone time and had nothing else to do, Arthur and Francis decided to 'keep each other warm' to pass the time. Nothing better to do, right? Beside, it was something the two had been wanting to do together for the first for a while now, and being cooped up in a little cabin to themselves seemed to be a good place to do it first.

"Oh, you're beautiful, my dear Arthur." Francis purred in the other's ear as he topped him on the couch near the fireplace. They had started the fire to put in a little romantic feel and glow to the room.

Arthur felt Francis' fingers pick at the hems of his shirt, signaling for the other to take it off. The Brit smiled shakily, slipping out from it so his bare chest now felt the chill of the room fully.

"Why, you're the beautiful one here..." Arthur mumbled, feeling his heart race. Why was his heart racing in such a way? It wasn't out of lust nor love; it was racing out of fear, anxiousness.

At the proposal of the idea to do this, Arthur agreed without a second thought. He truly wanted to have sex with Francis; it was an act he felt their relationship was ready for. However, he wasn't entirely sure he was ready for it. He wanted to do it, but there was just something clawing at his heart that held him back.

Francis leaned down to kiss Arthur on the neck, smirking as he did so. Arthur let out a whine at this as his heart pounded even louder. Was this right? Why couldn't he just do this?

"W-Wait." The Briton pushed himself up on the couch, causing the Frenchman to withdraw with a confused expression.

"What is it, mon cher? Everything alright?" He questioned, looking over at he other with concern. This wasn't like Arthur to stop advances nor show a tremble in his words. He always spoke with pride and never stuttered. Yet, here he was, anxiety painted across his face as he averted his gaze from the man he loved most.

Arthur let out a sigh, trying to steady himself. "Listen, Francis... I know we want to, erm, do something right now and believe me, I really want to. I know we're ready and all, but... I'm just... You see..." His words struggled to form and come out properly, making him the tiniest bit frustrated.

Francis, nonetheless, listened intently to what his boyfriend was saying. Any concern that was Arthur's was also a concern to him.

"We don't have to do it, you know." He added, trying to comfort the other and figure out what the problem was.

"N-No!" Arthur answered almost immediately. He cleared his throat. "No, it's not that. I want to do it... It's just... I'm.. I'm ashamed of... my body."

It felt as if needles were being jabbed into him when he spoke those words. At school and amongst anyone, Arthur was always so prideful and confident in how he was. If anyone contradicted him, he would just laugh it off and coat fake confidence on his words despite always believing the negativity he sometimes got.

Arthur looked over at Francis to see what he had to say, expecting a laugh or nod in agreement. Surprisingly, he didn't get none of that.

"Ashamed? What do you have to be ashamed for?" Francis exclaimed, sharing in Arthur's surprise. "You have an extremely beautiful and attractive body! Nothing about it or you should ashamed about nor be tainted with insecurity."

Arthur felt his cheeks blush at those words but he quickly shook his head. "You don't understand, Francis. Look. You have a wonderful body. You're fit, have a nice build, and you have true confidence in how you look. But, me... my body isn't muscular. It's skinnier than most guys and I look weak and puny. I don't have a pleasing figure nor a body I like. I hate my body. It's hideous and ugly and I just hate it so muc-"

His words were cut short as a pair of lips crashed against his own, causing him to swallow any future words he might've said. Francis pulled away from the kiss, eyes trailing down to stare at Arthur's lips.

"Your body may not be like mine or other guys... but it's beautiful in its own unique way." He said seriously, being genuine with every single word. "It doesn't matter if you're skinny and flimsy. Your body is beautiful because it's yours. Even if you were pudgy with a lot of weight, or had acne sprinkled across you, or had stretch marks, or scars, or whatever bodily difference that wasn't like the stereotypical 'pretty boy'. Your body is beautiful, Arthur... I love every part of your body. Every single thing about it. There's absolutely nothing wrong about it nor a single inch that should be frowned upon."

For a moment, the two simply stared. Francis's brilliant sapphire eyes, glossed over with a gaze of pure love and care. Arthur's deep forest green eyes stared back, filled with shock, admiration, and love. He couldn't believe what the other said... For years, he loathed his body. He was so scared that Francis would share his loathing and despise his appearance, but that wasn't so. Cause here he was, praising him and disagreeing with ever self hate the Brit had put upon him.

"Th-Thank you..." Arthur breathed, truly grateful to have met Francis in his life. "No one has ever told me that; ever. I know, you're probably right, but I just can't help but still feel insecure about myself..." He shifted a bit where he sat, rubbing his bare arm awkwardly.

Francis let out a chuckle. "Oh... That's alright, my dear. It takes a while for us to accept ourselves, especially after constant words of hate. Don't rush it. However, that doesn't mean you can't have people around you to help in your self acceptance."

Arthur raised a brow as he watched the other remove his shirt so they both now were half naked. "What are you doing?" The curious question made Francis smile brightly.

"You said you wanted to do it, oui?" He asked as Arthur nodded. "Well, then we shall do it. However, I want our first time to be special. I want it to be special for you, especially." Francis leaned over Arthur, planting a quick but gentle kiss on his lips. "Therefore, I will be pleasuring you, my dear, and only you. I may not be able to fully help you understand the true beauty of your body, but I can at least aid and counter those hateful thoughts with my true, loving ones."

He couldn't believe it. Partially cause he had no idea what Francis was planning but also because of why he even was making the attempt to do such an act. It was out of the ordinary; unbelievable.

Before Arthur could say anything or have an input on what was said, Francis nuzzled his face into the other's neck, gently sucking on where he was kissing. The Brit gasped in surprise, feeling a sudden wave of comfort wash over him.

"Francis- why- what-?" He stuttered, causing the other to momentarily stop on his kisses.

"Pleasuring you, of course." Francis mumbled into his neck. "Tonight is all about you. Now, don't go feeling bad or uneasy about it; this pleasures me as much as it's going to pleasure you. I want to show you how much I love your body and how perfect it is in every way."

That was an odd way of putting it because it certainly won't pleasure him the same exact way as it was with Arthur. The Brit was going to have a wonderful time beyond belief by the Frenchman, and the Frenchman will feel immeasurable joy knowing he was giving this to his love.

Sex often was the word to label him. At school, he was known for sleeping with every partner he had; boy, girl, whatever. It had come to the point where people started to believe that's all he really cared for. However, that wasn't the case. Truthfully, all he cared about was that his partner was okay and happy with it. If they opposed, he would stop and wouldn't continue further. With Arthur, the man wanted to have sex, but he wasn't comfortable with his body. So, Francis decided to help aid in the other's confidence and decided to have sex with him, but made the objective or loving the other more than pleasing himself. As long as Arthur was happy, that's all that mattered.

With his reply, Francis turned back to Arthur and began to leave a trail of gentle but wet kisses on the man's neck, gradually leading down his chest. He whispered into the kisses, "I love your smooth body and how sublime it always appeared to me. How much it resembles perfect porcelain; so delicate to touch."

Arthur felt himself tense up when the other slid his hand down the side of his torso, just barely picking at the edges of his pants.

"The curves and edges upon you that should only be bestowed upon high praise and love." He trailed down so now his lips pressed against the other's stomach. "This torso... The being of your body that holds you up throughout the day. It's slimness with such an elegant poise..."

Francis ran his other hand down Arthur's side, now fiddling with his pants. He leaned up, pressing his bare chest against the other's. "May I take them off?"

It seemed like an absurd question to ask considering how turned on Arthur was right now. Nonetheless, he replied with a shaky voice. "Y-Yes, please."

Francis carefully undid the pants buttons and slid them down Arthur's legs. His briefs were tight around his crotch that was practically begging to be set free. Smiling just a tad, Francis removed Arthur's last particle of clothing, having it pool at the ankles of his feet.

The Brit's breathing hitched as he felt himself being fully exposed in the secluded cabin, his cheeks reddening. His insecurity heightened at this as he averted his gaze from Francis and his body.

"Don't be ashamed, my love." Francis cooed, softly turning his head back towards him. Arthur allowed this and now stared down at his beloved boyfriend who now crouched in between his legs.

Arthur didn't say anything more but he merely nodded sheepishly, struggling to keep his eyes on Francis.

Francis continued, tracing his fingers over his waist and thighs. "I love your legs... How beautifully they open up for me. Their smoothness and tenderness much like a doll's. How they glow from your perspiration as my lips sinfully taint their purity." He sprinkled kisses on Arthur's thighs, gradually making his way towards the man's erection.

Arthur shuddered at his lips, feeling his breathing become short as he felt Francis grow closer. Deep down, he didn't understand why the other was doing this for him... Why he was dedicating their first time to only pleasure him. First times should be significant to all members of the relationship; it shouldn't be significant to only one person, right?

His thoughts were suddenly wiped away as he felt warm breath make contact with his cock. A light chuckle came from between his legs as Francis's lips were now an inch away.

"I love you, Arthur. You say your body is unpleasant, yet it's the most pleasant and beautiful body I've ever laid eyes upon." He leaned over planted a single, soft kiss upon Arthur's tip, making him gasp. "Relax, mon amour. I know you're probably feeling bad for me doing this. I know what you think. However, I'm doing this because I want to." Francis slowly drew up, pressing his own crotch against Arthur's momentarily as he locked a passionate kiss. Drawing back, he smiled, "I want to make you happy. I want to do this for you. I love you too much to see hatred surround your body. I want to let you know how worthy and attractive your body is... I want you to love yourself just as much as I love you."

With that, Francis began to trail his tongue around Arthur's member, slowly putting it partially in his mouth. Arthur felt himself shiver at the feel as his breathing began to pick up. His body weakened against the other as he felt himself be engulfed by Francis's warm mouth. The sudden warmth gave immeasurable pleasure upon his cold body.

"F-Francis..." Arthur let out a moan, beginning to entangle his fingers in the other's soft blonde hair. Francis, too, let out a moan as he bobbed his head up and down slowly. The vibrations sent from him made Arthur take another gasp as his pants grew heavier.

The swelling desire upon his bottom half grew and grew as Francis continued on. It was something Arthur had never felt before in his life. Truth be told, he was a virgin so this time would be his first. He couldn't describe what he was feeling. Along with the lust that buzzed around his mind and pricked at his nerves, there also was a cloud of love and emotional desire.

Teenagers, and even adults, often crave sex and intimacy solely to please their body's impulses and desires. Their mind thinks only on sex and seeing each other's naked bodies and gaining pleasure from that. That's all. However, Arthur was feeling this way. Sure, he and Francis desired each other, but it was more than that. This sex was not an impulse or itching want with no meaning... It actually meant something. It was love– a deep love that very rarely truly existed in young adult minds.

Arthur felt sweat begin to gloss over his body as Francis's tongue swirled around his cock. "Faster... F-Faster, please..." The Brit begged, pulling at Francis's hair lightly yet firmly. He felt Francis smirk as his pace began to pick up.

The two were like a conductor and musician. Every time Francis went down, Arthur let out a moan. As Francis quickened, Arthur's whines and moans gradually grew louder and into a higher register. Truthfully, Francis found the the other extremely attractive. He adored the sinful sounds coming out of his mouth. His slim fingers pulling at his hair. The feel of his sticky body that trembled against him. The sight of his face washed over with pure vulnerability and lust as he stared pleadingly at him. He adored all of this and pleased that it was all caused by him.

"F-Francis... I'm going t-to.. I'm-.." Arthur stuttered out between his shaking voice. Francis knew what he was getting at and a small nod. His hand carefully began to fondle the base of Arthur's member to help the other reach the top. Suddenly, the Brit bucked his hips forward ever so slightly as his body shook out with relief. A warm, thick liquid suddenly filled Francis's mouth, causing him to take a moment to swallow it all. Arthur lied against the couch weakly, his chest heaving as relief washed over his body.

Francis licked his lips of the salty, sweet substance and let out a sigh. Gently, he drew up Arthur and placed a pure loving kiss onto his lover's drooling lips. "I love you so much, Arthur... You enjoyed this, non?" He let out a little chuckle but was cut off when two sweaty arms quickly wrapped themselves around him, pressing him to the panting Brit beneath him.

"I-I love you..." Arthur said, his voice shaky not from pleasure but from tears. Joyful tears. He buried his face into Francis's neck, continuing to speak in a soft voice. "I love you so much... Thank you. You.. You're the best person I've ever had the honor to meet in my entire life. I just.. I love you so bloody much."

It was special. Their first time was special. It wasn't just two seniors in high school having sex because of pressure or impulses. It wasn't driven from adolescent thoughts of uncontrollable desire and yearning. No, it was much more than that. It was an act of love, and true love at that. True love was extremely rare to find at such a young age. Teens think they know it but 95% of the time they don't. Yet, Francis and Arthur were beyond that time. They knew this was true and this just proved.

The feels exchanged from the two were not only the lust from sex, but devotion they had on one another. Arthur put all his trust in Francis to roam and touch his body despite his insecurities and self consciousness. Francis didn't pry to have sex with him nor to have sex in a way thatll pleasure himself as well. No, he had sex because he had Arthur's consent and even then it was solely to make his lover happy. If Arthur was happy, that's all the pleasure Francis wanted to feel.

"I love you too, Arthur." Francis replied, smiling, pulling back to look down at Arthur. The Brit stared up at him with love coated eyes as his lips had branched out into a grateful and loving smile–

 _Thud_

The two flinched a bit when a sudden thud came from the front door.

"Who's that?" Arthur breathed, heart pounding violently now. Francis looked up from the couch a bit to look at the window near the door. There was no one there and the only movement outside was the snow flying through the cold wind.

 _Thud_

Francis quickly went off Arthur, staring intently at the door. Arthur scrambled to put his pants back on in case someone was out there to come in. Maybe someone was there to get them. Maybe it was someone from the group and they went to check on them.

"I'm going to check on who it is; wait here." Francis whispered to the Brit, slowly walking over to the door. The sound on the door stopped now so the only audible noises now we're the creaking floorboards beneath the Frenchman's steps.

Reaching the door, Francis opened it and poked his head outside. Blue irises scanned the area, narrowing through the snow to get a good view. Nothing. The only things around were the dark pine trees and snow. The only unsettling things were how the shadows from the pine trees seemed to stretch over to the cabin, as if they were trying to engulf it into his mysterious darkness. But beside that, there was nothing.

"Anyone?" Arthur asked, his pants back on him. He went to grab his shirt when Francis shook his head.

"Non, no one—"

 _Crash_

The window near the door shattered as a large, skeleton like hand swooped in. It grabbed roughly at Francis's hair, jerking the man through the broken window. Francis screamed, thrashing against the hold as pain flooded across his head.

"A-Arthur! Help me!" The Frenchman cried out, feeling himself being lifted from the ground.

Arthur dashed over to the window, reaching out to grab his boyfriend.

"Francis!" He screamed, but suddenly he was gone. The Frenchman's screams now descended out into the forest as the man was dragged away from the mysterious monster that had taken him away.

Without thinking twice, Arthur ran out into the cold night to retrieve the man he loved most.

...

 _Oh? Did you get spooked yourself? Did you not like getting scared? How ironic is that._

 _It seems that you have something big planned next. Pray tell it won't be something you regret._

 **A/N:**

 **Gist of Francis/Arthur scene: Arthur admitted he was insecure about his body, but said he really wanted to do it with Francis since he believed they both were ready in their relationship. Francis agreed, but took their first time in a matter of boosting Arthur's self confidence. He kissed every part of Arthur's body and whispered sweet, loving words on every part of him to show just how beautiful his body was. This led to him giving Arthur a blowjob. Their whole first time was emotional and meaningful since they truly love each other and Francis did it as an act to prove his love to his boyfriend and to show him he isn't as unattractive as he says. It's emotional for Arthur because no one's ever done this for him before and he truly loves Francis with all his heart.**

 **How it contributes to their character development: Strengthens how they love eachother. It shows how caring Francis is and how he always puts his lover's needs and desires before him. It shows how Arthur is secretly insecure despite how prideful he is, and how he is now devoted to Francis in every which way.**

 **After they have sex, they're interrupted by something outside. Francis goes to check, but is pulled out by a monstrous skeleton-like hand and is dragged away screaming as Arthur runs after him.**

 **Also, I've never written a sex scene before and I'm asexual so I don't have any idea what it's like to feel aroused or any of those sexual emotions so I do hope it wasn't that bad. Sorry for any inaccuracies or if this was awkwardly bad lmao.**


	7. Execute

Arthur didn't even hesitate the moment Francis was suddenly out of sight. He raced out of the door, not even minding the fact he wore only jeans and no top garments that could protect him from the chilling snow outside. That didn't matter. The only thing that did matter in his mind was Francis.

"Francis! Francis!" The Brit screamed into the night, following a path that was made by two unusual looking footsteps and a body trail.

"Help! Help me, please! Arthur! Arthur!"

The desperate yelling was faint but it was enough to send Arthur in full speed.

He dashed through the trees once more, hopping over outgrown tree roots. He ducked beneath low branches, occasionally having to dodge other random things that blocked his way.

Soon, the trail came to a halt at the edge of a small ledge. There was no more yelling. No more sounds of movement. Arthur panted where he was, emerald hues darting from left to right for any little sign. Squinting, he gasped.

Francis was seen at the bottom of the small ledge crawling to grab onto something. Looking harder, the faint sight of what looked like a sharp, bony hand clawed at his back. He was too far to hear but still very clear to see.

"F-Francis I'm coming!" Arthur screamed. The response given was a voice cracking scream as Francis was pulled out of sight.

Time was running out. It was draining between the Brit's numbing fingers.

Without thinking, Arthur jumped off the ledge, tumbling down the hill. He grunted and yelped as rocks and twigs jammed into his sides and face. It was painful, but the pain didn't seem to reach him. His adrenaline was too high and the goal at hand was far too important to be waited upon.

Fortunately— or, unfortunately— there was a new trail to follow. However, it wasn't a trail he wished to see.

Droplets and smears of blood wiped across the pure white snow before him like a paintbrush. It was without a doubt Francis's blood. The mere sight made Arthur want to scream. Yet, he didn't. He simply pushed that reaction away to deal with later.

Just a moment ago, the two were sharing an unforgettable time together in that cabin. They were in each other's arms, sharing nothing but love. They were warm against one another with the crackling fire beside them. No worries, no problems. Just simple bliss and desire to remain forever in their embrace. Such a special moment that was supposed to last. However, it ended faster than it was meant to.

That was life, anyways. You enjoy everything and, for once, all seems perfect. Then, it's ripped apart by some unfortunate mishap and you must work again to achieve such perfection.

Arthur wanted that perfection again. He was determined to get the only perfection he had in his life back.

The Brit looked up when he realized the trail began to slide downward. Before him lied small wooden buildings aligned against one another. The slope led down to what appeared to be an entrance to somewhere underground. Deep down, Arthur felt his stomach drop at where the trail had taken him.

The mines.

Alfred's parents warned them to never venture down into the mines. The reason for it was unclear. The only explanation was that: "No ones been in there for ages. The last miner group who went down there all suffered horrendous injuries and died. Some weren't even found." Of course, it all sounded like rubbish and a mere scary story, but now, with all that's happened, Arthur couldn't help but feel terrified.

"Help! Please! Arthur! Arthur! Arthur, help me!"

Arthur snapped out of his thoughts as his head turned to the screams of his lover.

Below the slope, Francis could be seen thrashing and desperately grabbing at whatever was around him as the mysterious thing dragged him down into the mines. Arthur quickly hopped onto the slope, sliding fast down to catch the other.

"I-I'm coming! Francis!" The Brit shouted, not even thinking twice before running straight into the mine entrance.

...

As he descended, Arthur felt a chill crawl down his spine. The mines were surprisingly dimlit with a few candles here and there. It briefly perplexed the Brit considering it was said the mines hadn't been used in ages.

The more he ventured down, the more unusual sights he saw, but didn't investigate more into it due to the more important life at stake.

 _A recently burnt out cigarette_

 _A box of matches_

 _A half full vodka bottle_

 _A torn cloth tied to one of the walls_

 _A lantern_

Arthur quickly took the lantern, lighting it up with the box of matches. He held it to the level of his eyes as he traveled towards where Francis was taken.

"Francis? Francis!" The Brit called out. There were no more screams nor sound at all. It was as if the moment he was dragged down into the dangerous abyss, he had disappeared.

Arthur felt his heart race with anxiety as the prolonged silence rang in his ears. The hand holding the lateen shook slightly as he turned the corner, going deeper into the mines.

Around the corner was a massive open space underground. It looked like the depot where mine carts would be and where coal and whatever other minerals they dug up would be placed. Different platforms aligned the perimeter of the area, all leading to different sections of caves and tunnels into the mines. He never would've thought the mines would be this vast. Tonight was definitely full of surprises.

In the middle of the huge area was a mine shaft with a platform that brought it up and down throughout the different levels of this place. On the floor of the platform lay a body— a topless body with a series of cuts and injuries aligning their back and chest. Arthur drew closer, suddenly catching sight of a mess of long, blonde hair.

"F-Francis!" Arthur yelled, stumbling as he ran over to his beloved. He dropped to his knees, staring at the limp Frenchman on the mine's elevator platform.

Francis stirred a bit, his sapphire eyes half lidded as he gazed up at the Brit. His face was scratched and bleeding, along with the rest of his body. Upon his chest was a large gash that could easily be proven identical to the similar gashes upon his back. A trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as his lips parted to form words.

"H-Help... Please." A weak plea was made as Francis's hand made the attempt to reach over to Arthur. "A-Arthur... Help m-me..."

Arthur felt a lump form in his throat as he nodded his head vigorously.

"Don't worry, love. I-I'm going to get you out of here." He assured, setting down his lantern. "We're going back to the others, okay? You'll be ok—"

 _Snap_

The cables holding the platform jerked, causing it to suddenly fall slightly. Francis's eyes widened, tears welling up in his brilliant blue eyes. He tried harder now to reach Arthur, his hand trembling. Arthur reached over to grab him–

"Arthur—"

 _Snap_

The last cable to hold the platform suddenly gave way. In a second, it quickly plummeted down the, what seemed like, endless shaft. Arthur watched in horror as Francis fell down with it.

"Francis!" Arthur screamed, crawling over to peer over the edge. Nothing. Nothing but endless darkness and silence. There was no crash yet not even a reassuring cry of response.

Simply. Nothing.

The Brit sat there, petrified. Emerald eyes wide with fear and shock stared down into the dark abyss. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. No. No, this was all a dream right?

Yes, it was a dream. It had to be. He and Francis had fallen asleep on the couch in that little cabin. This was a dream. He fell asleep on the car ride up here. This was a dream. He fell asleep the day before he was even supposed to travel up here. This was a dream.

The longer he sat there, the more real it all became. Francis was... gone. He was snatched away once again. Just like that. And the last sight of the Frenchman Arthur had of him was his broken, fearful face. His feeble voice still echoed despite it descending away down below.

Arthur felt his shoulders shake as the sobs and tears he'd been holding in began to break free. His hands clenched into fists as he bowed his head towards the floor. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't... Yet, it was.

"Fra—!"

Before he could even let slip an overwhelmed yell, Arthur felt a large hand slap over his mouth. His cries transitioned into muffled screams as he squirmed in the hold of whoever held him from behind. The person was large— that was obvious enough. They were much taller than Arthur and much stronger.

The Brit continued to kick and struggle within the other's grip before he felt a chin being perched upon his shoulder.

"Best be quiet now. You wouldn't want to end up like your little friend, da?"

...

[ Kiku's P.O.V ]

 _"L-Let me go! Let me go!"_

 _"Squirming will only make it worse!"_

 _"Wh-Why are you doing this?!"_

My eyes snapped open suddenly, my head pounding. The last thing I could remember before blacking out was a masked man coming around the corner. Everything after that was a blur. Yells and screams were muffled to my ears but beyond that I couldn't decipher what words they made out.

I was lying face down on the floor. Obviously still in the middle of the kitchen entrance considering I felt the door frame beside me.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes and sat up from where I was. What lied before me made my face drain of all color.

The wall before me was splattered in blood. It dripped down the surface like a crimson waterfall. There was so much— too much for my liking.

I've been exposed to gore and horrific images since I was small, given my brother and I always were huge fans of gruesome and twisted media. Plus, Alfred and I often did all nighters where we stay up late whilst playing suspenseful horror games with impressive graphics. But this didn't even compare to those virtual casualties.

This was real blood. Real blood splattered in a way only caused by hard force.

I shakily got back on my feet, rubbing the back of my head. There was, in no doubt, a bruise beginning to form there but that didn't matter now.

"Alfred? Matthew?" I called out into the oddly silent lodge. There was no response. Only the faint sound of the winter wind billowing outside.

I walked out of the kitchen, now in the middle of a parlor.

Red balloons were tied around with peculiar images upon them. There were images of arrows and an array of faces— their emotions all either sad or scared. Along with the balloons, there were blood droplets sprinkled about. The lodge was decorated in a haunting red.

Was this a dream? It certainly felt like it. This didn't make sense. Why were there balloons? Where were Alfred and Matthew? Where was everyone else? Who was that masked man? What was going on?

My mind buzzed with questions and thoughts as I felt my feet almost automatically shuffle to the balloons. As if in a trance, I followed the arrows that pointed over the balloons. Whoever left them here probably wanted me to follow them. Whether following it would end up being good or not was unknown. Nonetheless, I followed. I needed answers.

The balloons led outside.

They were tied to the wooden fences that aligned the pathway away from the lodge. It was as if this were all a nightmare come to life. You find yourself in an uncertain, suspenseful situation where all you can do is venture further.

I felt myself continue down the unknown passage. My feet dragged me along as my mind wandered. I wasn't objecting to the balloons nor did I have a desire to follow them further. I simply... did it.

The silence within the lodge had followed me out. No birds chirped or fluttered their wings. No deer or rabbits rustled in the trees. Not even the wind seemed to make that much of a sound. Everything was a still and quiet.

Before I knew it, I found myself standing before what looked like a wooden shack. It's door was wide open as if calling for me to go in. The balloons stopped right at the door, egging me on to accept its gracious invitation.

I entered.

Inside made my blood turn cold. It looked like an old butcher shop. Knives, saws, and other sharp, metal tools hung over head and draped across elongated tables against the walls. Chains decorate the walls like streamers, all leading into another room that I guessed was the slaughterhouse.

This was all too creepy. This was too chilling and I wanted nothing more for this whole nightmare to be over.

I reluctantly journeyed deeper, turning the corner to go into the slaughtering area.

"Alfred? Matthew?" I called out, my words nearly falling from my mouth as I stepped into the next room.

Oh God.

The room was split down the middle by a waist high stone wall. It was used to keep the animals brought in to stay inside and not run off as they weren't sentenced to death. Chains littered the walls around just the same as the room prior. However, the decorative and nerve wracking interior was not what left me in shock.

Instead of what it was more like who.

Alfred and Matthew were both in the sickening animal kennel area, both with their hands over their heads and tied to the chains on the ceilings.

Matthew stared at me, eyes wide with fear. I'd never seen him look so frightened— despite him always being a very on-edge type of guy. His cheek was bruised and his entire body seemed to tremble where he stood. I could see beads of sweat drip down his forehead and arms. He opened his mouth to speak but only a breathy whimper escaped him. The look in his eyes were broken and scared beyond belief.

Alfred squirmed where he was but stopped when he saw me. His eyes widened with a sheer look of hope. That's when I noticed the tears that were continuously streaming down his cheeks. He, too, looked utterly petrified and fearful. Unlike Matthew, he had a rather large bruise atop his head.

"K-Kiku! You're here." Alfred exclaimed in a stammer. He opened his mouth to speak once more but was silence as another voice echoed about the shack.

"Welcome, Kiku." The voice was incredibly low and horrifying, sending chills down my spine. "I see you've made it. Are you ready to play our little mini game?"

I looked around quickly, trying to put a face to the voice. No one was there beside Alfred, Matthew, and I— well, as far as my eye could see.

"Who's there?!" I yelled out, not even hesitating to raise my voice. I was in no mood and my friends were obviously hurt and, possibly, in danger.

The voice gave a short laugh, not even answering my question. "This game will be fun. It's called 'Execute'. I will ask you a question and you shall answer. Simple as that. But here's the catch. Whatever answer you choose, you must press one of these buttons—"

On the wall that separated me from Alfred and Matthew were two buttons, one green and one red. It was originally supposed to be used for turning on and off one of the machines in this shack but the machine wasn't there anymore (obviously) and now was being used for another sadistic purpose.

"— and depending one which button you choose will depend on which hatchet over head will swing down upon one of your friends."

My face paled. Alfred let out a cry as his teary blue eyes stared horrified at something on the ceiling. Looking up, my gaze locked onto two hatched tied up, each directed towards either Alfred or Matthew. Blades were shown at the ropes that held the hatchets up, signifying that one will cut and send one of the hatchets down on whatever button was pressed.

"I don't want to play." I mumbled, hands trembling as I looked to the buttons then to my friends.

The voice laughed. "You must play. Or else both will die. Save one, save none. Those are the rules."

I felt my heart race as both Matthew and Alfred wailed for me to stop and for the voice to let them go.

What do I do? What do I do? I don't want to kill them. No. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be...

"So, are you ready to play?"

...

 _"You sadistic little fuck. How could you do this? To_ _ **him**_ _? What made you decide to come up with such a cruel idea?"_

 **A/N:**

 **I apologize for the late update. I got stuck on what to write for this story lmao. I forgot how complex this game was so I had to make sure everything tied together.**

 **Sorry if this update sucked. I'll work better in the next one.**

 **I know the description and setting for Kiku's part and with the slaughterhouse is kinda weird with wording but sh just ignore it. I've had a long week.**

Edit: Thanks GoneInASecond for informing me on the messed up format. Ugh. It's like the universe is keeping me from updating lmao.


	8. Regret

"Where is he?!"

"I don't know where he–"

"You damn well know where he is! You bloody took him you fucking–"

"Listen to me! Please! I have no idea where he is."

Arthur struggled as the mysterious man dragged him roughly by the arm out of the huge mine area. Anger and sorrow boiled within him, causing his nerves to stand on end.

"Please, stop struggling. I'm not going to hurt you." The man said, a bit irritated at the other's opposing actions. Although, he could kind of understand why.

Arthur opened his mouth to yell again and jerk away but felt himself being shoved into a chair. It was a simple wooden chair next to what appeared to be an oil barrel. They were in a secluded area of the mine, apparently a dead end cave. There were a few candles lit that gave the area an eerie glow.

The man took a seat next to the other, keeping a hand up to motion for Arthur to stay seated. Arthur, surprisingly did as he was told, simply too overwhelmed to even make a move of his own.

"Who are you?" The Brit spat, body trembling. Now that his adrenaline had subsided, the cold from the snow and lack of clothes upon his top half was felt in full. "Tell me. Tell me what happened to Francis. Tell me where he is! What the hell is going on?! Who are you?! Why should I trust you and even sit here idly beside you?!"

The man sighed, listening but frequently shifting his eyes to the little cave opening. Violet hues gleamed from the faint moonlight that shined down into the mines. His pale skin was scarred and, in some places, had burnt marks etched across him. He was a rather tall man, thick as well due to his large coat and scarf around his neck. The man didn't seem mean but he didn't seem trustworthy either. He was simply neutral.

"My name is Ivan Braginsky." The man introduced himself, taking a cigarette from his pocket. Lighting it up, he continued. "I'm the one who supervises this mountain—"

"You don't supervise this mountain. The Jones's do." Arthur interjected shortly, gripping the sides of his bare arms for warmth.

Ivan chuckled, putting the cigarette to his mouth. "Ah, yes. The Jones family. No, they don't own nor supervise this mountain. They simply own a settlement placed here. They watch over their property but not the rest. That is my doing."

Arthur blinked, furrowing his brows. None of this made sense to him. Who was this guy? What did he mean by 'the rest'? What else was there on this mountain? Alfred often explained how his family owned this area on the mountain. He knew they owned the lodge and some other places around it, but what about the rest? These mines? Did they have sovereignty over that?

A long silence passed between the two. Ivan blew a puff of smoke to the side, eyes dulling a bit as they drifted down at the life draining object between his fingers. He glanced back up at Arthur, noticing the older teen was shivering rather extensively. Arthur returned the gaze with narrowed eyes.

"Cover up, will you?" Ivan sighed, walking over and picking up a backpack from beside the oil barrel.

Unzipping it, he took out a ragged looking t-shirt. It was dark green and had the image of what looked like a small turtle on the right side of the chest. There was a dark stain on the back side of it, the exact color of the stain faded away due to time and various contact.

The Russian handed the shirt over to Arthur. Arthur hesitantly took the shirt and slipped it on. It warmed him up only slightly but he was incredibly grateful to not be bare anymore.

"You must be really stupid to run around in the snow shirtless." Ivan said bluntly, merely looking at the other now. It'd been months since he'd last saw anyone on these mountains.

Arthur furrowed his brow, about to make a witty and rude comment towards the man but felt his words run dry. The flashing image of Francis crossed his mind, immediately softening his expression to a saddened one.

Francis... Arthur yearned for the other. He hadn't accepted any notion nor possibility that the other might be dead. He was still alive and breathing the last time he saw him. There was no signs of death grasping him. However, the fall and snap of that mine shaft shattered his heart. That fall could've killed anyone, especially an already wounded man. But, Arthur didn't accept that. He couldn't. There had to be–

"... Is he dead?" The Brit asked suddenly, voice quiet yet desperate. He lowered his head, not wanting to see Ivan's expression before hearing his answer.

Ivan looked down at the other, unsure what to answer. It was unclear to him just as it was with Arthur. Although, he had a better understanding and prediction.

"Considering his condition and everything, most likely yes." Arthur flinched at the answer, feeling his eyes sting with tears. "Your friend has fallen into one of the lowest levels of these mines— one I don't even try to venture into if I can help it. He's been beaten pretty badly from what I saw. Hopefully his inability to move will serve him well and give him an advantage. But, being alone, it's only a matter of time before he either rots or–"

The man's words ceased when he was interrupted by very quiet, choppy sobs. Arthur's shoulders shook as he watched his tears drip onto his knees. Everything was catching up with him. The adrenaline had subsided. His confused and chaotic thoughts were settling, making way for the clear present.

Pain flourished within him at the constant thought of Francis's dead body. If only he'd run faster. If only he'd held the other back from answering the door. If only they hadn't of went to go to the tool shed. If only they hadn't returned to this mountain.

Arthur felt his breathing hitch when a large, but surprisingly gentle hand patted his shoulder. Teary emerald eyes looked up at pitiful amethyst ones.

"I'm sorry about your friend." Ivan said solemnly. "There's nothing much we can do now. He's down in the mines and in _their_ take now. It'll be pointless even making the attempt to go find his body."

"Wh-What's going on?" Arthur inquired shakily, looking towards Ivan now with a sense of lost and confusion. "Why was he taken away? _What_ took him away? Tell me what the hell is going on in these mines."

Victims within the mines rarely ever got the chance to speak, nonetheless escape danger. They were dragged down in screams and killed immediately in horrific ways. Ivan saw them all. He witnessed every victim and every death. Most of the time, he couldn't save them. There was only one time he made the attempt to but failed. Now was a chance to actually do some good rather than give in to the bad.

The Russian took a seat once more, propping his elbows up on his knees to lean towards Arthur.

"Please..." Arthur mumbled, "... What kind of nightmare have we fallen into?"

...

Screams fell on top of screams, making Kiku tremble in an unbearable amount of fear and stress. He couldn't simply choose who to kill. Both Matthew and Alfred were his friends. He wanted to save both of them and leave without any harm done. That's all he wanted. That's all he desired.

"So, are you ready to play?"

The low, nerve shattering voice echoed around the room once again. Alfred sobbed and cried out where he was tied up, eyes wide with fear. Never had the American looked so terrified. Sure, during horror movie marathons he was pretty scared but not once was it ever to this extent. He squirmed from where his hands were tied as a flood of tears drenched his cheeks.

"K-Kiku! Don't do this, please! Please!" Alfred wailed, voice strained from his pitiful cries.

Matthew was the same, although seemingly more petrified than his brother. He shook uncontrollably where he was tied, purple eyes wide with terror. His mouth moved quickly as incomprehensible words slipped past his lips. The occasional "No" and "Please" were heard. The Canadian was scared beyond belief to the point where he couldn't even function properly.

Kiku felt his hands shake as he stared at the agonizing scene before him. What to do? What to do?

"Here is your question—"

The Japanese male gave a short gasp, his face paling a bit. The mention of the question just heightened the cries from the two brothers.

"...Who do you want to save?"

Kiku's hand twitched at the question given to him. The buttons before him lit up— red for Matthew and green for Alfred. Their faint glow was almost haunting. To press one was to take a life. The question asked wasn't one that could easily been said than done.

Cold sweat began to drip down Kiku's forehead as he stared at the buttons before him. His heart hammered against his chest, adding on to the massive amount of noise in the room already.

"N-No.. No.. Please.. Kiku, please.." Matthew begged, never taking his eyes off the other. "D-Don't kill me.. Please.. P-Please, don't do it.. Don't kill us..!"

Alfred struggled even harder now where he was, voice cracking and straining from his loud cries. "K-Kiku! I'm your best f-friend! We've been friends since forever! P-Please! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Please! I'm b-begging you..! Please...!"

Kiku shook his head, feeling his own stream of tears fall down his cheeks. The buttons before him seemed to swirl and blur in his vision. Everything was moving. The voices and shouts piercing through his ears warped in volume. The faint light from the buttons seemed to pulsate and send him into a horrifying trance. He had to push one... He had to save someone.

"Who will you save?"

The voice questioned again, monotonous. It was as if the bearer of whoever said it wasn't even fazed about sending an innocent teenager to their death. They had to be unfazed. They initiated this whole thing.

Kiku reached out for the buttons, eyes darting between Alfred's and Matthew's.

 _Oh God... Who do I choose? I can't do this. I can't do this... I can't kill Alfred, he's my best friend. I can't kill Matthew because he's my friend too. Please, don't make me do this... Don't make me do this._

"Kiku, please! Please don't do it! Don't kill me! Don't kill us! P-Please... Don't do this...!"

 _If I don't choose one, then both will die. How can I spare one without hurting the other? There's nothing I can do to prevent that._

"I don't want to die..! I don't want to die..! I-I'm too young to die! There's s-so much I haven't done y-yet! Please don't k-kill me! Please! I-I don't want to die..!"

 _Alfred... Matthew... I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. But, I have to do this. I have to kill one of you._

Kiku bit his lip, reaching further. This was it. This was who he was going to save. His hand reached out and slowly turned and began going towards... the red button. Matthew.

He chose to kill Matthew and save Alfred.

 _Click_

Kiku pressed down on the button, flinching instinctively at what was going to come next. Surprisingly, there wasn't anything yet. He looked up at the axes above. None had moved. Was this all a bluff?

"I see..." The voice said, breaking his thoughts. "You chose to save Matthew."

Alfred's eyes widened, his face paling. More tears rushed down his face as he let out a scream. "N-No! No! No! No! Please! No! Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. Stop, please stop!"

Kiku, too, felt his face pale, staring down at the buttons. This wasn't what he chose. He chose Matthew's button to kill him and not Alfred. Alfred was supposed to live! This isn't what he chose!

"N-No! Wait!" He exclaimed, voice trembling at the threatening cries. "I-I didn't mean to! I meant to save Alfre—!"

 _Hiss_

 _Snap_

There was a quick hiss in the room before the snapping of a rope could be heard. All three boys felt their breathing hitch as they looked up towards the ceiling.

The ax before Alfred suddenly came swinging down before him. The American stared wide eyed and mouth agape as he watched it come towards him. He was speechless and breathless, pure despair painted across his facial features.

Suddenly, the ax made contact with Alfred, impaling the other in the stomach. Blood gushed from the other's torso as a painful gasp came from the other. It poured down his front, wetting the concrete floor beneath him. He doubled over as much as he could from where he was tied up. Sea blue eyes cracked and broken as the light in them flickered.

Kiku froze where he was, unable to take his eyes off of his dying friend. His mouth was open as well, unable to speak. All he could do was listen to the other's raspy gasps and broken cries. This wasn't supposed to happen... This wasn't supposed to happen. Alfred wasn't supposed to die. He chose to send the ax to Matthew- as morbid as that may sound it was true.

He chose to save his best friend yet it was his best friend that fell into their grave.

Matthew screamed bloody murder as he shut his eyes tightly. Tears seeped through them and dripped from his chin as he shook his head vigorously. He couldn't bare it. His brother's deathly screams. His brother's cries and begging to stay alive. His brother's gasps of breath. His brother's overflowing blood that began to spread on the floor, creeping up to his feet. He couldn't bare any of this.

Alfred shakily lifted his head up to look at Kiku, eyes filled with betrayal. His face was pale and blood tricked from the corners of his mouth. Every inch and crease in his face was purely hurt and fear.

"H-How... you..." The American choked out, brows furrowing together as he began to choke. He coughed and spluttered with immense pain, trying his best to stay alive. He took one last shuddering intake of air before going limp where he was tied up.

Alfred was dead.

...

"No.. No.. No.. No.. No.. No.." Matthew cried, hanging his head. His body trembled as he refused to look over at Alfred. "H-He's alive.. He's alive... He's alive.. He's not.. He can't be.."

Alfred hung limply where he was, arms still over his head. They weren't struggling anymore. They were pale and lifeless, just like the rest of him. His eyes were closed, the expression of pure distraught forever engraved upon his face. Blood continued to seep out of him, pooling at his feet.

Matthew shuddered where he us, flinching a bit when he heard something click. The soft creaking of a gate or entrance was made, soon followed by the shuffle of footsteps.

He opened his eyes reluctantly when he felt someone fiddling the ties on his wrists. It was Kiku.

Kiku was ghostly white, eyes wide and empty. His movements were shaky and jumpy as he undid Matthew's restraints.

No words were stated from the other. Just messy movements and a broken expression.

Matthew gasped when he felt his wrists being set free. He let his arms fall to his sides, the blood flowing back into them.

"W-We have to go." Kiku muttered, breathing quickly. There was no need for a doctor or any words to explain what the other was going through. He was going through shock, immense shock.

The voice of whoever the maniac was didn't speak anymore. There were no more haunting laughs or morbid games or anything. It was simply silent. This silent was more chilling than how it was before.

Matthew looked over at Alfred, his his body trembling at the sight.

"A-Alfred..." The Canadian mumbled, eyes watering as he took a step close to the other. He reached out a hand towards the bloody American, "Hey... W-Wake up... The maniac isn't h-here anymore, Al... Alfie?"

Kiku closed his eyes when Matthew continued to speak and pry at Alfred. Denial.

So many horrors unfolded that night. So many questions and surprises at every turn. So much in such a little time. This was supposed to be an innocent hang out together between friends. Simply harmless and fun and optimistic to move past what happened the year prior. That is how it was supposed to turn out.

Yet, here were two of the friends, looking at the corpse of one of their own.

Matthew sobbed uncontrollably, wrapping his arms around the lifeless American. Alfred's blood began to drench the other's front but Matthew didn't seem to care. He simply clung onto his brother, holding the other's cold body to his chest.

"A-Alfred... No.. Please w-wake up! You can't be dead.. please!" The Canadian cried out, fists tightening as they gripped Alfred's sleeves. "Come back.. Alfie... P-Please.. Stop scaring me.."

"Matthew... We have to go. We can't stay here." Kiku mumbled, hesitantly putting his hand on the other's shoulder. Matthew flinched a bit and shook his head, burying his face into Alfred's shoulder.

There was no way he was going to leave his brother. No way.

 _Thud_

Kiku jumped a bit at the random thud, looking around frighteningly as to where it came from. His mind was buzzing and he felt as if he was going to be sick.

"M-Matthew, we have to go." The black haired male pried on, gripping the Canadian's sleeve to pull him.

Reluctantly, Matthew let go of Alfred's body and stumbled over to Kiku. Kiku shakily gripped Matthew's sleeve tightly as he stumbled back outside with the other. There was no way he was going to risk facing or having to bring someone else to more harm.

Alfred... Alfred was dead. He was dead on his hand. His best friend. He was dead. He was gone. He was—

Kiku winced when he and Matthew stepped outside. The cold, snowy breeze slapped him across the face. The vast blankets of white that draped over the mountain blinded him. He killed Alfred. Alfred was dead. The moon above him seemed to swirl and dance in the sky. He killed Alfred. Alfred was dead. There were two figures coming towards the both of them soon followed by the muffle of shouts. He killed Alfred. Alfred was dead.

"Kiku! Matthew!"

Through his distorted vision, Kiku saw a pale face with white hair come rushing towards him. A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. Brown eyes flickered to the face, slowly distinguishing it as Gilbert's.

"M-Matthew?! Why are you bloody?! What happened?!" Feliciano's frantic voice questioned as he stared at the whimpering Canadian. Kiku merely looked at the two others, not having the energy nor ability to respond.

"Kiku? Can you hear me? Kiku?"

Everything was happening too fast. There was no way he could keep up with the current time. Seconds slipped past his fingers as he tried to grasp onto it. Everything was falling apart.

"K-Kiku? Hey, look at me, Kiku?"

Gilbert's worrisome dark red eyes came in and out of focus before Kiku.

"Alfred is dead." Kiku mumbled, causing Feliciano and Gilbert's excessive chatter to cease. "He's dead and I killed him."

...

 _Did it go as you planned? Are you happy with the result? I have to applaud you on your acting... It certainly was splendid._

 **Who are you?**

 _Well, who are you?_

 **A/N** _:_

 **Writer's block can suck my ass.**  
 **Sorry if this chapter was horrible and rushed.**  
 **A lots been going on.**  
 **Next one will be more informative on Arthur's part.**


	9. Wendigo

"Wendigos?"

Arthur knitted his brows together at the foreign word. It rung no bells nor made sense at all. It was a foreign word with a foreign meaning. Ivan expected Arthur to have no correlating knowledge with it for he easily eased into elaborating further.

"Wendigos." Ivan repeated, sitting back in the seat he relaxed in. Another cigarette was put to his mouth as his mysterious violet gaze rested on Arthur. "This mountain is their home. It's a cannibalistic spirit that inhabits these grounds. It's been here for years before even western men ventured and 'claimed' this as their own."

Arthur furrowed his brows together, confused upon all of this. Cannibalistic spirits? He'd heard of them countless times, being one to be interested in folklore and fairytales. However, he'd never expected them to be real. It was all fake, according to science and research.

"The Wendigos possess humans who grow hungry and fall into the hands of starvation. They take over their soul and turn them into a cannibalistic monster." Ivan continued, flashes of images of people actually turning before his eyes coming to mind. "First, you foster a hunger. It's small, nothing more than a wanting for a snack. Then the hunger grows and grows to the point where you could eat anything. It's only a matter of time before you resort to the last resource to eat— human flesh."

Arthur shuddered at the thought. He couldn't imagine anyone having to starve to the point where they'd eat just anyone. He tried imagining what would happen if he and Francis were trapped down here and they ended up trying to kill each other for food. Would that even happen? Arthur doubted he could bring himself to do so, but from what Ivan said, would he even have a choice?

Playing with the hem of the t-shirt given, Arthur swallowed thickly. "So... the thing that took Francis away... that was a wendigo?"

Ivan nodded, tapping his cigarette as some ash floated to the cave floor. "Yes, that was a wendigo. It was a fairly new one too. I've captured a majority of the ones that roam these mountains but this one is a feisty fellow. It was just made at least a year ago."

Arthur felt an ache in his stomach at the thought. To think... People just turn into one of these things. It wasn't something that happened in the old days, it still happened.

"Wendigos are near invincible." The Russian continued, "The only way to kill them is fire, and even that isn't recommended. If you kill a wendigo, their spirit is released into the air and goes to find another soul to take over. Like I mentioned, I capture them so they don't hurt anyone and so they aren't released. However, if you are up against a wendigo, a shotgun is perfect for defending yourself against it. Anything else will make no difference."

Ivan did know a lot about wendigos. He practically researched them for the past years. It wasn't out of interest nor scientific reasons. The man worked alone. There was no organization funding his intellect and information upon the creatures. Hell, he practically didn't exist on documents. He was a nobody. He did this for personal reasons.

A sigh slipped through the Brit's freezing lips as his gaze fell down to his feet.

"How come you know so much about these creatures? Why do you take so much interest in them? If I were you, I'd leave this bloody mountain and never come back." He questioned dully, not really caring for the answer but just thought he'd ask.

Ivan blinked, his facade never changing despite the touchy question.

"They took someone precious from me. Someone very dear... I learn about them to try and prevent anyone else, from both my standpoint and theirs, from falling into the hands of the wendigo."

Arthur glanced up, feeling a heaviness set in his heart. "Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to bring up a bad topic."

Ivan let out an empty chuckle, shaking his head. "It's alright. I don't mind talking about it. I've moved past my grief, but still hang onto the hate."

The wendigos snatched someone very dear to Ivan. It happened three years ago. Ever since _he_ was snatched from the Russian's grasp and turned into one of those horrid creatures, Ivan vowed to learn and keep these monsters tamed. An act to avenge his dearest's death.

Arthur suddenly stiffened where he was, his face paling ever so slightly.

"My friends... There's seven of us on this mountain, including me. They don't know about this. They don't know what's out here." Arthur realized how much danger they were all in. "I have to tell them. I have to get to them."

If they didn't know what to look out for, they wouldn't be ready to defend themselves. They needed to know. There was more going on here than they knew. They needed to get off this mountain.

Ivan opened his mouth to respond, equally sharing in the other's concern. However, words failed to be heard as a loud screech reverberated off the cave walls. Ivan's eyes widened as thrashing was heard along with the collapsing of multiple objects. The wendigo from before had returned.

It crawled on the mine floor, frequently jumping in such high distances to another part of the massive area. Arthur watched it from where they sat, petrified where he was.

"Wh-What do we do?" Arthur breathed quietly, eyes wide with fear. Although, the look in his eyes wasn't pure fear. It was a mix of terror and hate and anger. That thing took Francis away.

Ivan grabbed the hiker-like backpack from the floor and swung it back on. He didn't respond right away to Arthur but merely stood in front of the male, blocking him from the little arch of their one way cave.

He took out what looked like a nozzle connected to his backpack. Arthur squinted at his backpack, getting a better look. There was a gasoline container attached to it, which also was connected to the nozzle.

"Where are your friends?" Ivan whispered, turning his head just a tad to glance over at Arthur behind him.

"They're at the Jones's lodge." Arthur whispered back, feeling his voice tremble.

"We'll make a run for it. Like you said, we need to tell them about this. I'll hold it off while you run back up where you entered here. You got it? I'll follow behind. Don't hesitate."

It was like a battle plan. Diverge the enemy's path, retreat to safer grounds, do your best not to die. Basically what Ivan was asking Arthur to comply with. It wasn't something that settled well with the young adult Brit but it had to be done.

Arthur nodded, getting up from his seat and stood behind Ivan, waiting.

Ivan slowly stepped out from their little area, holding the nozzle in front of him. He shuffled to the side and never broke his gaze from the wendigo. The wendigo was looking around a crate of old wooden boxes, oblivious to the two humans that lurked by.

Arthur slowly followed beside Ivan, making sure they didn't separate for too much or long. Emerald eyes stared fixated at the wendigo, merely examining its nerve wracking appearance.

Random tufts of brown hair stuck up from its skull looking, bare head. Thin, sharp limbs were in stiff positions as its movements were quick and rigid. Its fingers were slim with its tips almost needle like. It was a near perfect representation of a starving human— a deformed torso with a showing ribcage gave it a monstrous figure; same goes for its legs and arms. The wendigo was bigger than an average human, if stood by for comparison it would tower over.

 _"Arthur... Help me."_

Arthur's breathing hitched sharply as he heard the undeniable plea from the mine shaft. It was Francis. Francis was calling out for him. He was still alive. Sure, the voice was feeble and just barely heard but it was there no doubt.

"F-Francis!" Arthur cried out, immediately breaking away from Ivan and dashing over to the shafts

Ivan gasped, reaching out to grab Arthur but it was too late. Shit. This wasn't good.

The wendigo immediately turned to where they were, clouded eyes locking on Arthur. It's monstrous face snarled as its jaw snapped open to let out its signature screech. Piercing sharp, jagged teeth bared at Arthur as it lunged towards the Brit.

Arthur, breaking away from the shaft, looked over and felt his blood drain from his face.

He felt himself forget how to breathe for just a second as he finally reached the mine shaft, only to be swept off his feet as the wendigo grabbed his shirt front.

"L-Let me go, you bloody bastard!" The blonde cried out helplessly as he was forced to stare down at the monster that held him up. It's bony hand moved and now wrapped its skeleton like fingers around his throat.

Arthur gasped, tears brimming his eyes as he stared at the wendigo.

The wendigo narrowed its eyes and screeched once again. Its eyes widened a bit, the color behind the cloudy mask becoming just a bit more vivid.

Suddenly, it slammed Arthur against the inside of the mine shaft. Arthur let out a sharp cry of pain before he felt the hand around his neck let go and found himself falling down into the seemingly everlasting darkness of the mine shaft.

Its eyes were green.

...

Gilbert pulled Matthew and Kiku some ways away from the old butcher shop. Both were in utter hysterics, Matthew being more verbal and loud about it whilst Kiku lost all ability to even function properly.

"A-Alfred's dead! He's dead! Oh God, Oh God. He's really dead." Matthew sobbed shakily, purple eyes wide with terror and distraught. The screams of his brother still rang in his mind, breaking him down even more. A strong wave of shock took over his mind and self.

Feliciano ended up crying too, overwhelmed with the sudden news and cries from his friends.

"What? H-He's dead?" The Italian whimpered, hands shaking by his sides. "Does that mean we might die too?!"

A mixture of emotions flung through the air from the four friends, not one of them seeming to connect to a same train of thought. If Alfred was killed, did that mean whoever did it wanted the rest of them dead? Who would be next if Alfred had gone first?

"Wait, wait, let's all just calm down, alright?" Gilbert said above the messy chatter. Unlike the rest, he was rather serious and strong headed in situations like these, which was a surprise considering how immature he normally was. "If Alfred really is... dead... we need to get out of here. Who knows what's out there trying to kill us! We need to get off this mountain _right now_."

The Italian nodded his head quickly, agreeing without a second thought with what Gilbert said. "Y-Yes, I agree. Let's go. Let's leave! I don't want to be here anymore. I don't want to be here; I should've known to not come."

Matthew gave a short gasp before shaking his head. "W-We can't get off this mountain! Arthur and Francis are still out th-there. We can't just l-leave Alfred up here! We can't leave without everyone and I-I, And-And.. Oh God, are we stuck here?!"

Broken cries erupted from the Canadian as he fell back down into hysterics once more.

Gilbert shook his head, placing his hands on the smaller male's shoulder.

"Mattie, listen, we're going to be okay. We just have to keep a clear mind and logical thinking, alright? We _will_ get off of this mountain and no one else will die. Trust me! I'll get us out of this nightmare!"

Matthew pulled himself away, shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down his face and froze onto the snow beneath him.

"W-We're all doomed here! My fucking brother died! Alfred is dead! If he died, who knows if we're even safe! Who knows if we're even going to make it past those trees! We're going to die on this mountain! Oh fuck, we-we are going to..!"

The distressed blonde tripped over his feet, falling backwards onto the snow. He started to cry once again but felt himself quieten when a low cracking sound was made.

All words and noises made from the four friends as they slowly turned to look at the trees around them. The tall pine trees emitted a variety of cracking sounds as their branches broke off slowly. It was all so surreal and almost as if this was some sort of out of this world trick.

Gilbert squinted up, looking around to see if anyone was the cause of all this.

Just like before.

No one was seen.

 _Boom_

The top of the trees exploded with a loud bang, shaking the earth beneath them. The night sky lit up with a bright white and different shades of red and orange from the explosions. The tops of the trees blasted int bits, it's explosion deafening to the ears.

Feliciano immediately fled back up the path in terror, screaming as he did so. Kiku followed silently yet the clear image of pure terror still etched across his face.

Burning pieces of wood flew down from the desolated trees as more cracking came from the tree trunks.

Gilbert stared wide eyed as one of the massive pine trees began to fall. It's dark bark with its base now up in flames began to descend right on the path that the friends stood on— although now it was just Matthew and Gilbert.

"G-Gilbert!" The Prussian was torn away from his trance as he turned to see Feliciano yelling for him. The Italian was waving his hands desperately for the other to come over to him.

After a moment, the albino suddenly began to feel his legs move again and he started to run out of the way of the falling tree. Matthew had already made a run for it like the others, but was no where to be seen. The only thing that signaled where he fled to was the distant sounds of him crying.

Gilbert reached out to Feliciano, his heart pounding in his ears.

Suddenly, he felt a branch or maybe just a large piece of wood slam against his back. He felt a sharp pain cascade down his body as everything went black.

 **A/N:**

 **Yeah, a lot is happening. Oops.**  
 **It may make sense, it may not. Just know it'll clear up very, very soon.**

 **Also, sorry for the late update.**  
 **I've been getting terrible writers block and I just feel like no one really cares for this story so lol what's the point.**  
 **I'm still going to write it 'cause I hate leaving stories unfinished but y'know it's hard writing consistently.**

 **I know this is going to sound really selfish and shitty of me, but, please, if you really enjoy this story and genuinely like it and are interested, please let me know. I just want to see if it's even worth updating frequently.**

 **Please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews. They motivate me to keep writing. 3**


	10. Revenge

_nteresting. Very interesting. Say, what do you think about all this? How do you like how things played out? Are you happy with the decision that was made?_

 _ **...**_

 _No answer?_

 _My, my. You've stunned yourself speechless. Although, I can tell you're enjoying this. You started it. You made this all happen._

 _ **Why are you doing this?**_

 _Doing what, talking to you? Discussing what you are doing? Why, I just want to see what your thoughts are. I already know what you're thinking, but I want to hear it from you._

 _ **They deserve this.**_

 _Ah, so this is an act of revenge, is it? They did you wrong and you want to pay back._

 _ **Yes.**_

...

Chaos coursed through everyone now. No matter who's story it was, chaos struck their nerves and sent them into a frenzy of disarray and hopelessness. An innocent night soon tainted with a darkness no one saw coming.

Would they last the night? It seemed like it was near impossible. It seemed like every footstep and every breath was their last. No matter where they turned, horrors awaited them. And, now that it had been done, it was obvious death could follow up.

Alfred... was dead.

Kiku sat stock still on the couch back in the lodge. The lights were still off and it was still freezing. The generator still hadn't been fixed but that didn't matter. It was the least of their problems now.

On the couch right across from him lied Gilbert with Feliciano tending quickly to his wounds. A large gash tore across the Prussian's back, blood continuing to flow. It wasn't threatening to blood loss or anything severe, but it did hurt like a bitch.

"F-Fuck.." Gilbert whimpered, flinching as Feliciano used a wet rag to clean him. He lied on his stomach, burying his face into one of the hand pillows in an attempt to comfort himself. "Who knew a tree could fuck you up this bad.."

Feliciano bit his lip anxiously as he knelt down to grab the medic kit, beginning to take out the medical alcohol.

"Gilbert, what are we going to do?" He asked softly, hands shaking as he poured some of the alcohol on the rag. "We're not safe here— no one is. We don't know where Matthew is. When Kiku and I brought you back here, he disappeared screaming and crying. What if he was dragged back into danger? We still don't know where Francis and Arthur are... and Alfred... A-Alfred..."

An uneasy silence settled at that, no one needing Feliciano to finish. And Alfred is dead. That statement still rung a bell of disbelief and denial. To think, one of their own friends died just an hour ago. Completely butchered and left to rot. Against their will and left screaming as they could do nothing to help it. That sounded like the scenarios you'd only see in movies... not reality.

The silence was broken when Gilbert let out a shaky cry as he felt the rag start to clean his wounds. He shut his eyes tight as a few pained tears seeped through them.

"We need to get off this mountain," Gilbert mumbled, cringing at the intense stinging sensation in his back, "But, we can't leave without the others. I don't know how we'll leave. Alfred... he had the keys to the sky tram. I don't know where he kept or if he still has— had it... So, the sky tram is a dead end plan."

Kiku kept his head down, hands fidgeting as they rested on his knees. His body was stiff and he felt as if he was stuck in time. Everything moved about and conversations were made, but he was just barely catching up with them all.

How could this happen? His best friend... His closest friend. Alfred. How could Alfred be dead? Alfred was Alfred! He was a cheery, excited guy with only hope and promise in his eyes. No one would ever expect his life to be cut short like this. Never like this. Alfred... how could this happen to Alfred? Out of everyone, _Alfred_?

"Basement." Kiku mumbled, keeping his eyes fixated on his knees. "I remember seeing an old transmitter when I went down there... it was set on the desk down there. There's tons of stuff in the basement; I'm sure there's plenty that'll help us."

The Jones's always were fond of antique, random but treasured junk. That practically shined in the contents of the basement. They always were one for adventure and collecting as many historical or interesting machinery and objects as they could. It was their hobby. Hence, why they even bought a settlement in the middle of nowhere on a mountain.

Feliciano nodded, although gave Kiku a very pitiful look. The guy looked absolutely broken. He remembered this attitude, this disassociation with everyone and everything. Even though Kiku spoke, Feliciano could tell he wasn't really present. He knew. He could read it clearly from his frozen stature and monotonous words. He could relate.

"We'll call for help and we'll get off this mountain before anyone else gets hurt." Gilbert informed, a tiny sense of relief flooding through him as he felt Feliciano bandage him up. "We'll call and then stay up here. I'm sure everyone else will immediately come back here when they can so I think it's best we remain put."

It was a pretty easy plan. Call and wait. However, what happens if the call didn't go through? What happens if no one came back? What happens if someone does but they bring danger with them? What happens if the danger is right under their noses? What if?

Dozens and thousands of 'what if' scenarios could be played out from this. Everyone, all three of them, were thinking of them yet no one voiced them. What was the point? It didn't matter what they did or not say, the risk of dying and getting injured was still there. It won't matter.

"There.." Feliciano finished wrapping up the injured Prussian. Gilbert gingerly pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing softly at the sharp pain shooting up his back. It wasn't as bad as it was before, but it was there.

"Thank you, Feli."

"Do we go to the basement now?" Feliciano questioned, looking from Kiku to Gilbert.

Gilbert nodded, cautiously getting to his feet.

"Yes. The sooner the better. The longer we wait here the more danger we are allowing."

...

 _So, let me get this straight, you want revenge, yes?_

 **Yes.**

 _You'd go out of your way to torment and traumatize your friends out of their minds for revenge. How petty._

 _ **...**_

 _You've done so much wrong —._

 **It's right to me.**

 _No, boy, you're not listening to me. It's wrong. It's oh so, so wrong. You're blinded by hatred and selfish hurt to even see what you're doing._

 **Shut up.**

 _What a shame._

 **Leave me alone.**

 _Ha. Just saying that it vouches for the fact you really are still oblivious to this whole ordeal. Go. My time is up, for now. I'll come back later. And when I do, we'll see how much more you've done— for better or for worse._

 _..._

My eyes narrow as I stare ahead. Lips curling into a small, reassuring smile.

"They deserve this. It's all fun and games~"

 **A/N:**

 **I know, I know. I'm going really slow now, but trust me. With a story like this I gotta make some slow parts since a lot of shit is going to go down soon.**

 **I wonder if any of you guys know who this 'mysterious person' is. :') Sometimes I make it obvious, sometimes I don't. Oops.**

 **Please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews! I love to read them.**


	11. Disappearance

The three of them hurried down the basement steps, eyes scanning for the transmitter mentioned. Time appeared to be against them and they were heavily determined to regain their ground and advantage in this disastrous night. It was essential and the main goal set in mind.

Kiku immediately diverted towards the desk near the shelves he and Alfred had looked over. Books and newspapers and other random objects littered the desk, piling up on forming little mountains.

"Woah, check this out," Gilbert breathed out, limping over to the desk. His back still ached and pricked with pain from the fallen tree branch, but he knew he'd have to manage through it.

Reaching over, the Prussian picked up one of the newspapers, squinting at the cover. A faded picture, seemingly a police sketch, of a man with very light hair and a distinctive large nose stared back at them. A rather thick scarf snaked around his neck, partially covering the scowl on his lips.

 _WANTED_  
 _Mysterious mountain man treading the area. Complaints and concerning statements from victims who wish to remain anonymous warn him to be very dangerous. Please take precaution if crossing paths with this man. It is advised you steer clear of encountering if you can help it._  
 _Printed: September 2013_

"This was made 3 years ago." Feliciano mumbled, shuddering a bit at the intimidating sketch of the mysterious man. "Do you think he's still here? What if he's the maniac?"

It didn't need to be stated on what the Italian meant by 'the maniac'. That was the unanimous title they had given the mysterious psychopath who was tormenting them— the one who murdered Alfred.

Gilbert shook his head, pushing the newspaper away with a light laugh.

"No, I doubt it. These look outdated. They probably caught him already or he died of frost bite on these mountains. There's no way someone could live up here and stay alive in a three year time span."

That mere idea seemed absurd. Even before this whole ordeal, the group of friends only stayed up there for a night. Only a night. That was it. No one even wished to stay longer. Whether it was Arthur complaining about the cold or Antonio falling ill from the weather, there always was a silent, overall decision to only stay there a night.

A couple more moments of rummaging through the junk was made before Kiku made a soft 'aha'. He gently brushed away some random slips of paper, revealing the old transmitter he'd mentioned back in the parlor.

Feliciano peeked over, biting his lip anxiously as he stared at the old machine.

"Will it work?" He asked softly. "It looks old..."

Kiku nodded, starting to fiddle with the buttons and antenna that stuck up on the edge. It was pretty old but it still looked to be in good shape and able to work.

"Yes, it should work." Kiku explained monotonously. "Knowing Mr. Jones, he probably has a satellite dish on the roof somewhere on this lodge. Turning this on-" He flicked a switch, causing a red light to blink. "We will be able to send signals and reach out to any towers or transmitters nearby. Seeing as how this is a rather small transmitter, I don't know if it will travel that far... but, there's no waste in trying."

"Will this really get us help?" Gilbert questioned.

Kiku sighed, "If this signal reaches someone, our help is set on them. I can only reach someone and pray that they actually come to us. Both sides have to cooperate, but I'm sure they will... if we reach them."

If. There were so many ifs and grey areas to getting to safety. What if the signal didn't reach anyone? What if it did but whoever took it decided not to heed their pleas? What if they did answer but they couldn't find them? What if help did come but they were slaughtered before they even got there? What if? What if?

The only reliable source they had now was faltering hope. That was all.

Feliciano turned around and began to examine the many other objects the basement contained. The shelves were filled with little figurines and books that were propped up neatly here and there. Piles of clothes and cloth littered the grounds. Organized boxes stacked atop one another against the wall.

On the floor, Feliciano noticed a picture. It was a rather old picture, evident in the poor quality of the camera. Kneeling down, he picked it up and gazed on the front.

It was an old picture of Alfred and Matthew when they were little. Alfred was in mid-laugh, an arm draped over his brother. Matthew was simply smiling in an amused way, looking to his brother as if he was a complete weirdo— a weirdo whom he loved dearly as a brother. It was a genuinely happy picture with both boys exceedingly happy. Unfortunately, that happiness had run out. One of them would never smile again and the other had no one to smile with.

Sighing, Feliciano absentmindedly turned over the photo, wondering if there was a date on the back. There was no date on the back. However, what was on the back made the Italian's face pale and quickly stumble back, dropping the picture.

"Feli? What's wrong?" Gilbert quickly went over to him, leaving Kiku to mess around with the transmitter. Feliciano shook his head frighteningly, pointing a shaky finger at the fallen photography.

Going over, Gilbert picked it up and gazed at the back to see what exactly was wrong with it. His eyes widened as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Oh my God..."

On the back was a message written in very dark red ink, or something that looked like ink. The message read:

 _You will heed my warnings, Jones. I have told you countless times to leave this mountain; I tried to be nice. You are leaving me very little choices here. If you don't leave his mountain, I will slaughter your precious sons and smear their blood all around your wooden walls. Don't make me carry out my threat._

Gilbert swallowed thickly, staring at the words before him.

"This is messed up..." He breathed, Feliciano whimpering softly. "Someone actually threatened Mr. Jones about this."

"Do you think it's the mountain man?" Feliciano inquired softly, hugging his arms in an attempt to comfort himself.

This was all too much for him. All too much. First, the doubt and discomfort of coming back here after his brother's disappearance to this whole fiasco? It was way too much and he, and almost everyone else, was regretting ever coming back.

Gilbert opened his mouth to respond to the inquiry but suddenly fell silent when there was beeping from the transmitter.

Kiku quickly pressed fast on the button.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?" He asked into the transmitter.

The other two forced the prior topic to drop and crowded once more around Kiku. There was static in response to the call out, leaving their anticipation to prolong. Kiku pressed down on the button again.

"Hello? Is someone out there? Please copy. Hello?"

Silence.

 _"Yes, I copy."_

Feliciano let out a sigh of relief, a weak smile flickering on his lips. There was someone out there. Someone was out there and answered their call to help. There was actual some hope for them.

"Hello. Yes. Thank you for copying." Kiku hurriedly said into the transmitter. "Please, we need your help. We're stuck on this mountain, there's been a murder, and we–"

 _"Please slow down. I can barely understand you. You need help? Where exactly are you?"_

"We are at the Jones' land settlement." He responded, assuming they would understand. Alfred's family was a rather rich family and known very well throughout the city.

There was silence on the other end before a reply was given.

 _"...Okay. We are sending help."_

The three boys let out a sigh of relief in unison. This was great. This was wonderful. They were going to be saved. Everything was going to be okay—

 _"Help will be on the way. Just wait until dawn. It will take us until dawn till we can reach you."_

The relief was short lived and quickly followed by shock. Gilbert's eyes widened at that, looking at the clock on the wall of the basement. It was only 8:30pm. They had hours left until dawn.

"But that's so far away!" Kiku exclaimed, shocking Gilbert and Feliciano when they heard the plea in his voice. "Please, there must be another way! Can't you come sooner, sir?! We're risking our lives our here! I-!"

Dead.

A crackling sound stopped any further exclamations. The transmitter had lost signal. No use in communicating now. Feliciano stared wide eyed at it, frozen in place. None of them knew if this was good or not.

Help certainly was coming their way. That was for certain. However, it was coming in hours. Hours of waiting in terrifying uncertainty and unease. Who knew what would happen in those hours? Would those be blissful, peaceful hours of waiting with no more accidents and what their night was supposed to consist of? Or would it unfold more inevitable horrors only someone could imagine?

Feliciano opened his mouth to comment further upon the situation but felt his words be stripped from him as a blood curdling scream.

"Help! Help me! Help me! Someone, please!"

A strained cry erupted from the parlor, followed by the slamming of one of the doors. Without a second thought, the three boys quickly dashed back up the basement stairs towards the cry.

Once reaching the top, they all piled into the parlor and saw someone on the floor, scrambling to get back on his feet. Blonde hair fell before their eyes as fallen glasses lay askew on the floor.

"Matthew! Are you okay?" Gilbert exclaimed, quickly dropping to his knees before the distraught Canadian.

Matthew flinched at the sudden appearance of Gilbert and the others but instantly clung onto the white haired male, burying his face into his jacket.

"He's not th-there... he's not there... he's not there..." Matthew sobbed continuously. His shoulders shook violently as his eyes stared down, wide and unblinking.

"Who's not there?" Feliciano asked cautiously, looking outside.

"Alfred! Alfred isn't there!" He exclaimed rather loudly, surprising the three. Purple hues glistened with tears as he awkwardly stepped back from clinging onto Gilbert, leaving the Prussian with furrowed brows. "Wh-When that tree fell... I ran back to th-the slaughterhouse where we were trapped. I couldn't leave him... not there, not there. I-I couldn't leave his body... I would've died with guilt if I d-did.."

Gilbert, Feliciano, and Kiku listened, looking over Matthew. He was still bloody from Alfred's blood bath yet he looked even more disheveled now.

"I went in there to get him but he... he... he wasn't there! His b-body wasn't there! There was still all th-the blood but Alfred wasn't..." A new wave of wails erupted from the blonde, causing him to bring his hands up to cover his face. He shook his head, "I think someone took him..! The maniac probably took him! Or am animal must've gotten him! Or-!"

"Shut up!"

Matthew suddenly stopped crying when an unexpected voice yelled in his ear. Looking up from his hands with tear soaked eyes, he saw Kiku staring at him with the most broken expression he'd ever seen. Hazel eyes gleamed with threatening tears as his facade was of pure despair.

"Shut... up." He said again, much quieter this time.

He couldn't take it. It was bad enough to have killed his best friend, having blood spill on his hands. Yet, it was even worse to hear further harm had been done to Alfred. He didn't want to ponder on the thought of a wild animal tearing him apart from the limbs, or a psychopath dragging his limp body for whatever pleasure they had in store.

Matthew felt himself break into more tears upon hearing Kiku's outburst without explanation, hands shaking at his sides.

"Hey, lets all just calm down, okay?" Gilbert stepped in, shocked upon both the news and what came from Kiku. "Let's just take a moment to assess the–"

 _Bam_

The front door suddenly shook and trembled violently, causing the four boys to jump in unison. The handle shook and turned as someone viciously tried to get in.

It was the maniac.

"Th-This way!" Matthew cried out, suddenly dashing towards the basement. Gilbert, Kiku, and Feliciano followed without their own thought of where to go, knowing it was better than staying up here.

As they ran down, Feliciano wondered:

 _What's the basement going to be any help with? It's not like there was much to do or places to hide. Hiding behind boxes and underneath fallen clothes, maybe... but that wasn't enough._

He turned back towards the parlor before disappearing down the basement steps, looking towards the door. It didn't move.

When they made it back into the basement, Matthew went over to a the metal gates that Mr. Jones had instructed them to never trespass. It was said that when they bought this lodge, there were many underground tunnels and places that could be explored other than the ground floor of the house. However, with an odd suspicion and lack of knowledge upon said places, Mr. Jones had warned them to never venture there, weary about what might be dangerous.

Feliciano used to think that was just a scare to keep them in the lodge, but after hearing about the mountain man he was now sure that Mr. Jones's concern was a valid one.

"We can't go in here!" Gilbert whispered, watching Matthew open up the metal gate.

Matthew shook his head, slipping in before pulling the others. "Y-Yes we can! Mr. Jones told me we shouldn't go in unless an emergency and this is an emergency."

There was no time to argue, so Gilbert reluctantly agreed and slipped through. Once all were inside, Matthew shut the gate, letting out a shaky sigh of relief.

Would this protect them? Or, were they already sentenced to be damned like Alfred?

...

It was suddenly cold and dark. That's all Arthur could remember exactly before his senses began to prick back to life. The echoing of his own screams played on repeat in his head all the way down the elevator shaft. It ended abruptly once he reached the end with a hard thud, being silenced by sudden darkness.

Deep down, Arthur wished he would remain in darkness. The thought of waking up and having to face those... wendigos made him want to be dropped into oblivion once again. He wished to forever be in the quiet serenity of darkness, never to wake again. That's what he wanted.

Unfortunately— or maybe fortunately— that couldn't happen.

"Arthur... Arthur."

The Brit stirred where he lied, a muffled voice coming to his ears. It sounded distant yet the feeling of someone touching his hand made him rethink exactly how far the bearer of the voice was. With a great heaviness, Arthur forced open his closed eyes, a mass of dull color and faint white light from the soft moon met his eyes.

It was then Arthur realized his position. He was lying on his back, one arm outstretched to his right with the other over his chest. His leg was twisted in an odd direction whereas the other one was positioned right beneath the broken one. He could feel a warm liquid soaking his side and dripping down his head but couldn't feel exactly how much that hurt.

Before him, coming to view, was Francis lying exactly like him yet wide awake and looking at him with an immense look of worry.

"Arthur— are you okay?" The Frenchman asked quickly, noticing that his boyfriend had awakened.

Arthur opened his mouth to speak only to be silenced by a strained whimper. He looked down to see Francis's hand holding his tightly before looking up to see the worried face of the other. He was alive... Francis was alive.

The Brit turned to move over closer to Francis but suddenly stopped when he felt a twinge in his side. Upon seeing this, Francis forced himself up despite his own aching injuries and went over to Arthur. Gently, he slipped an arm underneath Arthur's back and slowly helped the other up in a sitting position. Almost instantly, Arthur wrapped his arms around Francis's neck and buried his face into the other's shoulder, being mindful of how much pressure he put as to not hurt him.

"I thought you were dead.." Arthur cried, voice soft yet packed with the intense relief and bittersweetness that coated his words. "I thought I was too late to save you... I thought–"

Francis shushed him softly, stroking Arthur's hair lightly, using his other arm to wrap around the other to hold him close. Fresh tears pricked at the corners of his own eyes, falling in a matter of seconds.

"I'm not dead. I promise you, I'm not." The Frenchman whispered back, turning a bit to press a kiss into the side of Arthur's bleeding head. "Thank you for coming to save me. But, cher, you're badly hurt... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

Arthur suddenly pushed himself away from Francis, instantly regretting it as he flinched at the renounced pain in his side. He leaned once more against Francis, letting his forehead rest on the man's shoulder.

"Y-You're one to talk. You were, what, bloody attacked in the damn forest and forcefully dragged on your arse over here before plummeting I don't even know how many stories down." Arthur mumbled, continuing to whimper.

A gentle laugh escaped Francis as he gingerly put his finger underneath Arthur's chin to tilt his head up. Sapphire locked with emerald and all was still.

"You're right, I am hurt as well. But, we cannot completely disregard your own injuries. You're bleeding from the head and side and, from the looks of it, you have broken a leg."

"You have deep gashes on your bloody chest and back for Christ's sake and your body is practically painted in horrific wounds." Arthur retorted, attempting to make this into an argument of 'who is worse'.

It wasn't particularly a good game to play but, taking under consideration of their current status, a little 'cheer up' was needed.

Francis leaned down to press his lips against Arthur's, silencing the male's irrelevant oppositions. "Calm down; we are alright now. We have each other. Now, let's get out of these mines, non? I don't want to freeze to death." He shuddered, looking down at himself. He was still bare from the waist up with only his pants to keep him warm.

Arthur cracked a small smile at that, nodding his head slowly with delicacy.

"Right... We need to warn the others. I've been informed of what is exactly out there and we all need to leave as fast as we can."

The recollection of memories upon Ivan and the newly learnt information upon the mountain's history resurfaced in his mind. That was right... They still didn't know what was happening. Arthur wondered what happened to Ivan, knowing that he had left the man suddenly when he was tossed down the elevator shaft.

Shaking that away, Arthur sighed. "I swear, when I see Alfred again, I'm going to pummel him for making us go out here in the first place. It's all his damn fault."

...

 _Is your identity slipping? Be careful; you don't want your little prank to fall short. They mustn't know who you are until the finale of this whole plan. It would be extremely anticlimactic if it failed due to your own carelessness._

 **Shut up. This is going to be perfect.**

 _Ha. Whatever you say —._

 **How do you know my name?**

 **_**  
 **A/N:**

 **wow! an update! this must be a miracle!**  
 **sorry I've been super busy with school and staying active on my ask blog lololol**

 **anyways, this is practically the end point of all the boring, informational stuff~**  
 **shit's gonna go down next chapter and the chapter after that and oh boy**

 **still, any guesses on who the mysterious person, aka the maniac, is? :-)**  
 **I love hearing your guesses.**  
 **they give me a good laugh.**


	12. Undead

The basement was silent and dreary, much like the majority of the lodge and world around them. Nothing soothed their anxious and battered hearts nor broke them even further. Everything was simply at a stand still- nothing wavering or moving. The seemingly endless rooms and halls down below all appeared the same despite their vast differences.

Feliciano walked slowly, eyes occasionally glancing at the space around them. The Jones' lodge was quite extensive, seemingly more down below. He could recall once Alfred stating that this place was supposed to be a small hotel resort before his father bought it out. Where they walked appeared to be the working quarters with the laundry room and storage spaces. There were other rooms obviously furnished with purposes beyond the concepts of a resort but Feliciano chose to not ponder on them.

"I think dad had an emergency hide out space down here." Matthew whispered, violet hues gleaming in the dim lit area. "He always had us have an emergency plan down here in case anything went wrong... Hopefully it will work for us."

Kiku walked idly beside Matthew, keeping his head down. He did not speak nor make any contact with anyone as they ventured down. Where was the need and desire to. An overwhelming blanket of grief and loss still weighed on his shoulders and the rest of them knew it was best not to try and remove or fix it.

Gilbert limped along, the pain in his back still piercing strong. Yet, it didn't faze him too much. Growing up he learnt how to withstand pain and manage through any type of circumstance no matter what it was. That was the result of being raised in a tough family, especially after the death of his brother. It was an essential aspect that he knew how to survive in the eyes of his parents. And, he wasn't complaining. Hell, more now than ever was grateful for it all.

Click.

The four boys suddenly froze as a soft clicking sound reverberated off of the stone walls. Feliciano stiffened, moving closer to Gilbert. Matthew stared wide eyed at the darkened corridors before them. There was a tap on the floor, then another. The scuffle of something dragging on the ground scraped against the stone floor and made the hairs on everyone's back stand up right. By the sound of its movements, it didn't sound humanly normal, unless it was someone with a terrible limp.

"Wh-Who's there?" Matthew called out into the dim lit area before them, squinting. Gilbert narrowed his eyes, trying to depict anything that was seen before. There was nothing, odd to say. There wasn't any silouettes or anything that showed that there was a physical being right there. It was just... empty.

Feliciano instinctively shuffled his way behind Gilbert, the ominous taps and scrapes unnerving his already on edge emotions.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang. A low, maniacal laugh echoed around them, it nearly deafening them. It was so loud, so creepy. So chilling.

"Run!" Gilbert shouted, shoving Feliciano and Kiku behind him and pushing them forward to start running back. Matthew's breathing hitched as he, too, followed behind as they all ran. Their rushed footsteps crescendoed down the dark hallway, the laughter behind them increasing in volume every second. Feliciano felt hot tears roll down his cheeks in silent, simply too scared to even make a scream or cry. Kiku never looked behind him as he ran, scared as well but still too dazed to care.

Gilbert looked left and right at the countless small rooms that they passed by. There were lots of places to go hide but where would be best. Every room was either in shambles or held no door. There was no potentially safe space to go.

"There!" The light haired male exclaimed, pointing a finger at an open door. It appeared to be the opening to a kitchen or laundry room. The door was in tact and from the quick glimpses he could get he could see there was a handle and lock. "Everyone, run in there!"

No one needed a second command. They all ran into the opened doors with their heart nearly being puked out. Feliciano slipped in first, immediately falling to the floor as he tried to catch his breath. Running never was his best ability- especially in circumstances with high panic. Kiku came next, leaning against the wall as he attempted to regain feeling in his legs. Gilbert was about to go in before he realized something was missing.

"Matthew?" He called out, looking around. Matthew was no where in sight. Gilbert didn't even realize him falling behind and not keeping up with them. There was no response back, sending a chill down Gilbert's spine.

"Gilbert! Get in here! Quickly!" Feliciano cried out, the scraping outside getting louder. The thing was coming closer. Yet, Matthew was no where in sight.

Gilbert opened his mouth to oppose, not wanting leave Matthew outside. He couldn't leave a friend out there to fend for his own. However, he didn't want to jeopardize everything for them and let harm touch Feliciano and Kiku. Besides, Matthew wasn't even seen anywhere...

Reluctantly, Gilbert shut the door, locking it hesitantly. Matthew was still out there, but this was the safest thing to do at the moment.

"Wh-Where's Matthew?" Kiku questioned, looking at Gilbert. Gilbert kept his back to them staring blankly at the closed kitchen door.

Gilbert didn't turn to face them, merely staring blankly at the shut door before him. He wasn't sure how to feel at the moment, nonetheless he felt terrible. He... just abandoned a friend. But, it was for a good cause right? It was to save two lives while potentially sacrificing one. In a sense, it was the best he could have done. He had to think of the better of the majority.

With a sigh, Gilbert turned back to Kiku and Feliciano, who returned his blank stare with an anticipating one.

"We lost him. I couldn't find him when we got here and we couldn't risk whatever is out here getting inside." He said softly, all emotion leaving his tone. "I'm sure he found another room to hide in though. So... let's not think the worst."

The two others opened their mouths to speak but closed them, casting their eyes down awkwardly. They understood what Gilbert meant but that didn't hide the fact they were still very concerned for their friend who could or could not be dead. Instead, they just tried to 'enjoy' and take a breather in the empty kitchen from the hectic night they were enduring.

This really was a night. None of them could even believe how much has spiraled out of control. All were certain that the moment they entered the mountains they would never had guessed this is how it would turn out. Yeah, the start wasn't the most joyous or exciting but the most bit of 'unsettling' was reliving the memories of their dead friends. The concept of relapsing through grief seemed like a wonderful way to go than all this. That alternate was desired for greatly.

Kiku took out his phone quickly to check the time. From the brightness of his screen, the time 10:00pm. There still was a lot of time before dawn- before their rescue came to their aid. Yet, even from the time that had already passed, so many horrors had already taken place. Who knew what would happen next.

Clatter.

The three boys jumped in unison as the sound of some metal container in the walk in freezer could be heard. The freezer wasn't functioning, as evident to the lack of frost on the window. It resembled most of what the kitchen portrayed- empty, untouched for ages, dirty. However, the door was slightly ajar. Feliciano winced quietly as he shuffled close to Gilbert once more.

"Stay quiet." The pale male said in a whisper, slowly creeping towards the freezer. The sound wasn't so loud and there was anything significantly haunting about it. Whoever or whatever was in there was at a disadvantage- three against one. And, with some fleeting feeling of courage, Kiku and Feliciano crept alongside Gilbert as he went closer to the freezer.

Slowly, they made their way towards the small area. More sounds began to be heard from its vicinity, all extremely hushed. A scuff of a shoe. Ragged breathing. The slight kicks of whatever metal bucket or so that had fallen. Reaching the door, Gilbert hesitantly pushed it open all the way, its hinges creaking deafening their ears for a period of time. Peering inside, the three felt all the air in their lungs disappear.

Curled up in the corner of the freezer was Alfred, hands tied tightly in front of him in rough rope. His eyes were wide and broken beyond belief as they flickered up to the three figures in the doorway. His shirt front was drenched in blood from the incident back in the slaughter house. However, his chest rose up and down quickly with frantic breaths as if panic surged through him. When Gilbert, Kiku, and Feliciano made their presence clear in the doorway, Alfred flinched and attempted to scoot away.

"Alfred?!" Kiku exclaimed in surprise, eyes gleaming with relief. "You're alive!"

He couldn't understand how this could be? He'd watched Alfred be hacked in the stomach with an ax. He saw the blood pour in tremendous amounts from his abdomen. He saw him pass out and go limp. How was he not dead? How is he still alive? More so, why is he alive and tied up down here as if some torture victim. So many new questions prodded at their minds as they simply froze in utter surprise.

Feliciano smiled slightly, so relieved to see Alfred alive. "Alfred! You're okay!"

Alfred didn't respond quickly to his friend's remark. He simply stared at the three of them from the floor with fearful eyes.

"Alfred, it's us." Gilbert stepped forward to go into the freezer, noticing the other's hesitant composure with them. Did he even recognize who they were? At the notion, Alfred winced and pushed himself away. His face paled in terror as he looked up at Gilbert. However, the fear was not directed at Gilbert or any of his friends. His fear was directed at the masked figure right behind them.

"L-Look out-" Alfred gasped, tears falling down his cheeks.

Before Gilbert, Kiku or Feliciano could turn around, all three of them felt a painful blow to the back of the head before they all passed out.

...

 _Ha. Gotcha._

...

 **A/N:**

 **Wow, an update. I know, weird.**

 **Like I explained in my other ongoing story, I'm not into Hetalia anymore. It doesn't interest me and, quite frankly, a lot of people in the fandom are incredibly rude and make writing for this fandom a chore and not as enjoyable as it once was. Nonetheless, I'm going to finish my two stories cause I don't wanna be one of "those authors" who leaves a story unfinished for years lol.**

 **But yeah, enjoy. Sorry if my writing is half assed. I just need to get going with the story.**

 **(Also, I'm getting into other things like Overwatch and Rick and Morty so I might have little drabbles soon about that- mainly with Overwatch though.)**


	13. Tough Decisions

"You can make it; I believe in you."

"I can't— I can't."

"Please, we're so close. Look! There's an elevator shaft that goes up. It looks like it still works."

Francis winced as he tried his best hold up Arthur's weight as they hobbled through the mines. Arthur whimpered as they both made their way towards the shaft, his broken leg weakly dragging beneath him. Both were too injured to walk on their own, yet were barely able to help each other walk. There was no way they were going to simply lie here and make themselves a grave. If there was a way to get down here, there must've been another way to get out. Besides, this was a mine. There's countless exits and entrances.

Reaching the shaft, Francis gingerly set Arthur down on the platform and quickly turned on the power. Luckily, it was still on for reasons unknown. This could mean someone else alive and well minded was down here. However, Francis didn't ponder further on that possibility for it mattered very little to him.

After a few splutters, the shaft very slowly began to ascend upwards. Francis sat down beside Arthur, grimacing at his open wounds.

"Here... wear this." Arthur said softly, pulling the old turtle shirt over his head.

"No, I can't take that. You'll freeze if you don't wear it." Francis refused, giving a soft grin.

Ignoring the other's protest, Arthur shoved the shirt into Francis's hands.

"You're hurt on your chest and your back. You need coverage more than I do. Infections are dangerous, you know."

Francis chuckled lightly, slipping it over his head. The cotton stung his injuries but it gave a very thin relief as a cover from the cold breeze.

"Ah," He sighed, "I would counter with frostbite at being more dangerous but with this shirt or not we would still be equally at risk of it."

Arthur gave him a crooked smile in response, carefully leaning against him. For a moment, the only sound greeting their ears was the soft creaking of the shaft and whistle of the wind above their heads. It was eerily calming in comparison to the horrors that met them before.

Francis shifted a bit in the shirt, glancing down at it briefly. It looked awfully familiar... The feeling of the fabric didn't feel too foreign at all. Near the collar, a speck of red was seen. Francis was all to familiar to certain stains and this was... wine.

"Arthur," The boy inquired curiously, "where did you get this shirt?"

Arthur looked over at him, with a shrug. "This man down here gave it to me when I tried to get to you. He—"

The words leaving his mouth suddenly hung frozen in the air as his eyes widened in shock. Arthur shakily put a hand to his lips, renounced fear causing shudders to creep up and down his body.

"The man... I left without him. I left him f-for dead out there!" Arthur cried, guilty tears streaming down his cheeks. "Oh God— what if I killed him?! What if my reckless action killed him?! I-I can't... I–"

Francis frowned slightly, reaching over to hold Arthur's cold hand in his.

"Wait... who? What man? What are you talking about?"

Arthur let out a weak cry, unimaginable guilt flowing through him. Oh no... Ivan had saved him and informed him of what they needed to know. He gave him a shirt and knowledge to ensure safety. Yet, he left him for dead. What if he was dead? Arthur couldn't bare the guilt of having someone's blood on his hands. If he hadn't of jumped towards the wendigo, him and Ivan probably would have gotten to Francis in a safer and more efficient way. Maybe they wouldn't of had to go quietly up a shaft and-

"This man- he's the one who told me exactly what these monsters are. We were both going to save you and then tell the group about all this. His name is Ivan and he said he's been studying those monsters called Wendigo. He-He said they're very dangerous and—" Arthur was cut off again by a ragged breath as more anxiety flooded through his veins.

All of the fear and panic he had been keeping bottled up from the moment he rushed out of the cabin suddenly came out. A string of whimpers trickled from his lips, connecting to the stream of tears that dripped off his chin and onto his lap. Francis quickly let go of Arthur's hand to pull the other close in a comforting embrace.

"Shhh, it's going to be alright, Arthur. We're going to make it out of his alive. Both of us. All of us." The French boy reassured, smiling gently. "You said Ivan was going to help you save me and then go to the group, right? Maybe he's already with everyone else— warning them about what's going on. I am certain he is not dead. If he's been living here and studying these things, he must know how to protect himself."

Arthur listened to Francis, the other's words leveling out his own distraught ones. That made sense. Yes, he must be with the group now. Whether that was true or not, Arthur chose to focus on that to be the truth. That was better than his idea.

A silence set about the both of them, which was a nice thing. The soft howling of the wind up above was calming. Francis realized how much he yearned for a moment of silence and just peace. A moment like this seemed to happen ages ago. He couldn't believe all that happened in this one night. Only a few hours ago were they both at the cabin with everyone having a good time. Well, minus the bickering with Arthur and Alfred, but even so, surprisingly, Francis would much rather hear hours of that than be here.

"Francis," Arthur's voice interfered with Francis's thoughts suddenly, "what's that?"

On the wooden planks boarding the shaft, small writing was engraved onto it. It didn't look too old but it also didn't appear recently. Squinting, Francis leaned over to get a better look at what it says. The handwriting was rather sloppy as if someone was rushing to write it, or was too weak to keep a steady hand.

"It says... 'I am out of time. Yet, I feel stronger inside'." He responded with a tone of discomfort. What the hell would write that and why? What did they mean by run out of time? Why would they write it on here? Was someone hiding in here before but didn't make it out?

Arthur's eyes trailed from the writing to the floor of the shaft. In corner was an old photograph wedged between two wooden planks. Reaching over, he picked it out and looked at the photo. It was of two boys but the faces were feverishly scratched out. One boy was taller than the other and held a map of what appeared to be a zoo. The other was holding the taller one's hand and held a stuffed turtle in the other, holding it towards the tall one. It looked like they were on a date or just hanging out together. Whatever it was, the owner of the photograph seemed to really want to get rid of the faces. There was no way they could be made out, even when held up to the faint moonlight.

"What a haunting photograph." Francis mumbled, a feeling of uneasy bubbling in his stomach. "This reminds me of the zoo we used to go to on field trips with Mr. Lee in elementary school. Remember? The annual english class field trip."

"Ha, yeah..." Arthur sighed nostalgically. "I didn't know you back then. Weird, huh? We go to the same school since elementary school yet we don't properly get to know each other till later. Funny how that works."

It was a weird concept. It made one think about the concept of time and the world around them. Someone you meet recently could've been so involved in your life prior to that and you wouldn't have known. You probably have a huge role in someone's life yet aren't aware of it. Francis never spoke to Arthur in elementary school, yet he knew of the boy. He was aware of him but never close with him. Funny how just after the first exchanges of words after all that time could blossom the words of love.

The shaft suddenly lurched to a stop as it reached the top of the mines. Francis, smiling with hope, looked out and saw the stairs that led to the exit. It was right there. It seemed like they would never reach the top.

"Come on, lets go!" Francis exclaimed, shifting to get up. Before he could do anything, there was a loud screech. Arthur felt his blood run cold as the familiar sound of the wendigo was heard around the shaft. They both froze as they heard the scraping of stone and wood as the wendigo moved around outside the shaft.

"It followed us.." He whispered, holding Francis's hand tightly.

Suddenly, the side of the shaft was busted open with a sharp hand protruding from it. Arthur scrambled away from the side, pushing Francis out of the shaft.

"Go! Run! Run!" He shouted, forcing himself on his feet, hopping off the shaft.

Francis ran as fast as he could towards he exit before them, terrified thoughts racing once again through his mind. Oh God. Will they be able to escape it? With their injuries they can't make it so far. Arthur had a broken leg and Francis had a sore body and cuts and bruises everywhere. They were at a disadvantage. They couldn't just—

Suddenly, Francis heard a loud thud behind him as Arthur fell face down on the floor. He winced in pain as he held his leg that gave way under him.

"Arthur-!" Francis cried out, eyes widening in fear as the wendigo crawled towards his fallen lover.

Arthur turned his head just in time to see the wendigo's clouded eyes glaring at him. Mouth opening in terror, he tried to crawl away but it was no use. The wendigo was just to fast. In the blink of an eye, the wendigo grabbed Arthur in his hands, wrapping its sharp fingers around his bare torso.

"Arthur-!" Francis called out again, now running towards him.

"No!" Arthur yelled at Francis, grimacing in pain from the tight grip. He glared back at the wendigo, squirming around. "Get out of here! It won't get you if it's dealing with me! Go!"

Francis couldn't believe his ears. Was Arthur seriously telling him to leave him for dead here?! How the hell would he be able to bring himself to do that nonetheless think about it?!

"Arthur, I'm not leaving you!" He argued.

The Briton screamed in pain as he felt the wendigo's fingers pierce through his sides, a stream of blood dripping onto the stone ground.

"I said, get out of here! You need t-to warn the group! Leave, Francis! You're running out of time!" Arthur gasped, feeling its fingers dig deeper into him slowly but surely. He turned to Francis, forcing a smile. "You can come back for me, okay? I won't let this bugger kill me."

That was obviously a forced reassuring lie but Arthur was praying that Francis would take the bait. Luckily, he did, but barely.

Francis slowly backed away towards the exit, feet going against his wishes. He couldn't leave Arthur... He didn't want to. Hell, this is a horrible thing to be doing. He couldn't just leave him. But, Arthur was right. He needed to tell everyone. If by any chance Ivan wasn't there, he needed to be there to let them know. Yet, the torturous thought and knowing he had to leave Arthur was too much. He couldn't bear this. He couldn't. He-

"I-I'll be back! I promise!" Francis said shakily, tears running down his cheeks. His broken breaths made way for a sob as he made it to the stairs. "I-I love you, Arthur... I'm so sorry."

With that, he dashed up the stairs, crying uncontrollably from guilt.

Arthur watched him go, a saddened look crossing over his face. "I love you too, Francis... Be safe."

The wendigo halted for a moment at that, staring at Arthur. Arthur looked back to the wendigo, his glare returning to his teary eyed gaze. "You bloody bastard, piss off of us! Unhand me, please!"

The wendigo's glare returned as well, yet it ceased its deadly squeeze and impaling. Instead he slammed Arthur down on floor and started dragging him back down into the mines.

Arthur clawed at the stone floor as he was dragged, his screams and cries descending down with him.

 _Showtime._

A/N:

I have an idea on how this'll end so hopefully that now I have a plan I will write faster now (by faster, I mean less than month a part update lmao).

Also, I might start writing some stories for Overwatch since I'm really into that plus I'm really into Reaper76 and McHanzo at the moment sO :-)) who knows :-))

Anyways, enjoy! Leave your feedback in the comments/reviews. I love hearing from you guys as always. I wouldn't be writing this still if it weren't for you all.


	14. Reveal

"Wake up, boys. It's time for the final game."

Gilbert slowly came back to his senses as he heard a low voice in his ears. What happened? They were going down under the lodge to get away from something upstairs. Yes, but then they had to hide because someone was there... Oh right, that someone knocked them all out cold when they... found Alfred! Right, Alfred was alive. But how? Nothing made sense... and the throbbing pain in the back of his head made it even harder to put things together.

"I said, wake up."

Gilbert felt a hand slap him across the face harshly, forcing him to fully wake up. He groaned, lifting his heavy head. Everything grew wonky in his ears and a heavy weight was felt being set on the top of his head. After a moment, he realized he was tied to a chair at both wrists and ankles. Blinking away his drowsiness, he saw Kiku sitting next to him in another chair, tied as well. The boy looked rather disheveled yet mentally more awake than he was before. He glared before him yet said nothing. To his other side, Gilbert saw Feliciano tied as well, eyes wide with fear. Like Kiku, he was staring forward. Reluctantly, Gilbert turned his attention forward as well, nearly jumping out of his skin. Inches away from his face was a bloody clown mask worn by the maniac.

"Y-You! You're the one that's been shitting around with us!" Gilbert yelled, anger boiling inside him. He quickly looked around again to see where they were. It was one of the rooms underground still but a bigger one than the kitchen. To the back, he saw Alfred curled in the corner with tape over his mouth and his hands alone tied. The blond was squirming hesitantly as if afraid of what would happen if he moved and what would happen if he didn't. Looking up, Gilbert saw two circular power saws- one above Feliciano's head and one above Kiku's head. Yet, there was nothing above him.

"No need for such a foul mouth." The maniac said calmly, fiddling with a remote in his hand. "You wouldn't want your temper to get one of your friends killed, would you?"

Gilbert frowned, jerking around in his seat to get free. But it was no use.

"What the hell do you mean?! What's you're deal with us?!" He demanded. "What the fuck is going on?!"

The maniac simply faced him, his hands never stopping when fiddling the remote. Gilbert didn't like that he couldn't see the man's face. It unnerved him that he couldn't see his expression. What the hell was going on?

After a moment's silence, the maniac clicked his tongue, finger hovering over the button on the remote.

"I told you to watch that temper." He said. His voice was extremely low, obviously masked by a voice changer. Who the hell was this guy?

 _Click_

The power saws on both Kiku and Feliciano suddenly powered on, slowly descending down towards their heads. Feliciano let out a scream and started frantically thrashing in his seat to move away from the saw. Kiku did the same but in a shocked silence, his breathing quick. Gilbert felt his face pale.

"No! Wait stop! I'm sorry! Stop this, please!" Gilbert pleaded. The maniac clicked the button again, turning off the power saws. Kiku and Feliciano calmed down ever so slightly, both bodies shaking uncontrollably. Gilbert felt his heart race loudly, needing to bite down on his tongue to keep his anger in check.

"What... do you want?" Gilbert growled, frowning up at the masked man.

The maniac let out a chilling chuckle, pulling up a stool. He sat before the three, resting his elbows on his knees in a relaxed manner. For a good minute, he simply sat there, drumming his fingers on the chin of the mask. It was obvious that the man was relishing in all of their fear and confusion. It was almost like he was feeding off of it.

"I want to play a game." The maniac finally answered, sitting up straight. "Kiku, you remember this game, right? You had a lot of fun playing it back there."

Kiku's face paled at recalling what happened. For a split second, he almost forgot about the entire game. Kiku looked towards his best friend, his heart racing even faster. Alfred whimpered softly in the corner upon hearing the game too, shifting his gaze away from Kiku.

"Please... Whatever you want, you can have. Just, don't hurt us anymore. We have had enough." Kiku whispered in an attempt to speak up for them all. The maniac turned toward him, his shoulders bouncing from silent laughs.

"Didn't you hear me? What I _want_ is to play a game, and a game is what I shall get."

The maniac hopped off the stool and knelt before Gilbert, tilting his head slightly to the left. Gilbert glared at the masked man before him, his cheeks burning with anger he didn't risk exclaiming verbally.

"Don't worry, Kiku," The man said, "I won't have you be the special contestant this time. Instead, I'll have Gilbert be the man with power! However, the rules are a bit different than last time." A monstrous chuckle emitted from him before he continued, "Instead of Gilbert making the decision to save one of you, he will have the chance to save or kill you both. All he has to do is answer my question correctly. If he gets it right, you both live. If he gets it wrong, oh dear."

Feliciano began to panic, pulling as hard as he could against the ropes binding him to the chair. His wrists began to turn red as he struggled, only feeding into the maniac's entertainment.

"What is your fucking question?" Gilbert spat, trying to keep himself together.

One question couldn't be that bad, right? It was only one. It wasn't like it was an entire packet worth of questions. Then again, if it is one that would mean it's all or nothing, which is exactly what it is. Nonetheless, Gilbert knew he was going to answer it correctly. He had to. There was no way he was going to have stupidity get the better of him and his friends' lives.

The maniac chuckled, standing up. "My question is simple."

He began to pace before the three of them, finger tapping on the remote in hand.

"Who... am I?"

Gilbert's eyes widened, terror striking him inside.

"Th-That's not even a fair question! How the hell am I supposed to know who you are?!" Gilbert yelled, his anger subsiding into fear. "I-I don't know who you are!"

The maniac clicked his tongue, "How pitiful." He pressed the button on the remote, the power saws continuing their descent down onto Kiku and Feliciano.

"You have 30 seconds before their heads are split in two. There's no limit to your guesses."

Feliciano cried out to the point where his voice cracked. He thrashed violently in his chair whilst screaming for someone to save them and pleading with the masked man to let them go. Kiku did the same but instead of screaming he just sobbed helplessly in his seat, his entire body shaking beyond belief.

Gilbert sat there frozen, completely lost on what to do. The screams of those he cared about echoed around him, pulling at his nerves. Their lives were on the line because he can't answer a simple yet completely unsolvable question. How would he know who the maniac is? There was no evidence as to who it could be! He never saw them without the mask or voice changer! This was a rigged set up from the very beginning.

The albino felt his hands tremble on the arm rests of the seat, his vision blurring with tears. No... No he needed to answer. Say random names! Maybe if he blurted out every name under the sun it would coincidentally be the name of the maniac and his friends would be free!

"20 seconds."

But there was no name. It was as if in the heat of the moment, every name he had ever known abandoned him at his time of need.

"15 seconds."

This would be his fault. Soon, blood will be spilt on the floor and it will all be on his hands for not knowing how to answer a single, three worded question. Even if it was impossible to answer, he knew it would still be his fault. It would be he to blame.

"10 seconds."

Feliciano... Gilbert glanced over at the terror struck Italian to his left. He watched the boy cry and scream as he pulled at the ropes till he could see blood smearing his bruised wrists. No, he promised he would take care of him. He promised this trip wouldn't be terrible and he would make sure he was safe and well kept. He promised to be there for him and make sure he didn't regret this. He promised to be there for him always. He promised.

"8 seconds."

He felt a sudden pain his chest as he recalled the day his brother died. Ludwig died on his watch. He wasn't fast enough to catch him before he fell from that tree. He was the big brother and he let his little brother die because he wasn't good enough to save him. It was all his fault. He was making the same mistakes now. This would be no different. Lives of those he cared about will be lost because he simply wasn't capable of saving them when the opportunity was there. It will be his fault. It will-

"5 second-"

"Stop! Stop this please! Stop! Don't do this! Don't do this!" Gilbert shouted, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Let them go! Kill me! Don't kill them! Don't touch them; kill me! Saw me down the middle, shoot me a thousand times, throw me off this mountain— hurt me in whatever way j-just don't hurt them!"

The maniac stopped the power saws just as they were about the touch the two's heads, simply surprised at Gilbert's outburst. Gilbert hung his head as he sobbed, shoulders trembling. His hands shook where they were as he continued to spew out pleas and self sacrificial remarks. He choked on the words that overlapped and slurred together with his heartbreaking cries. For a long moment, the only sound emitting from anyone and anything in the room was Gilbert's broken sobs.

Feliciano looked over at Gilbert, ceasing his own cries. This was terrible... Not once did he see the other cry. Nonetheless, give in and completely give up to someone. He always fought back and kept strong, even if he was in pain and deep sadness. To see him weep and beg... that was painfully pitiful.

"Jesus Christ, Gilbert..." The maniac said with a little chuckle. "You didn't think I was actually going to kill them, did you?"

Gilbert's breathing hitched.

"...What?"

Kiku softened his cries to mere whimpers as he turned his head to the maniac. What the fuck was going on? He wasn't going to kill them? Then what was the deal with all of this?!

The maniac busted up laughing, setting down the remote on the stool. The three boys simply stared silently, perplexed.

"Killing someone would take things way too far." He reached behind his head to untie the string that kept the mask over his face. "Besides, all of this, was fake! A complete fake, little game! The ultimate _prank_!"

Slowly, the man removed the mask, grinning at the three before him. Feliciano gasped, confusion and disbelief painting his face. No... How could this be? This didn't make sense.

"M-Matthew?!" Feliciano exclaimed.

Matthew stood before all of them, holding the mask in his arms. A wicked smile was plastered on his face as he shifted his glances between his friends. Purple eyes gleamed with an emotion none of them could pinpoint. He appeared... satisfied with all that's been done as if he was so eager to get to the point where he revealed himself. With a laugh, the boy raised his hands up with a wide smile.

"Surprise! This was all a huge joke! And, oh man, I got you guys so good. You-You really saw none of this coming, didn't you?" Matthew snickered, going over to untie Kiku and slowly move down the three. "I mean, you all never really see anything I do coming, huh? Little Matthew, the one no one seems to take notice of. The boring step brother of the most beloved friend in the group. Ha! This entire time you all were trying to figure out who was doing all of this yet the person you were looking for was right here the whole time! It's quite- It's quite funny, really." His voice rose and fell every now and then, making him sound completely out of his mind. It was eerie and creepy and so unlike how he was. Everyone else got that vibe from him for they were all too shocked to even speak for a good minute or so.

Feliciano glanced over at Gilbert, seeing how the male still hung his head in defeat. Even after Matthew untied him, the albino hadn't moved. He simply sat there, tears continuing to wet his knees.

Alfred remained in the corner tied up and frightened, showing he was not a part of this "prank". Once untied, Kiku rushed over to Alfred and untied the boy, mind buzzing with questions and confusion with all that was revealed. Softly, Kiku whispered to Alfred, asking if he was okay or hurt. Alfred didn't respond nor look at Kiku.

"How did you..." Feliciano spoke up, at a loss for words to put together. Matthew let out a short laugh, raising his eyebrows.

"How did I do it?! Simple!" He jeered, pacing the floor before the two. "I implanted the ingenious idea of returning back here into Alfred, knowing full and well he would take the idea upon himself and make it his own. He always takes things from me so the light is always shined on him even when it's not his in the first place! Before you all got up here, I took the time to put in little joke devices around the lodge and outside. You know: the bloody pictures, moving objects that fall and break, firecrackers in the trees, pathetic Halloween scares, speakers in the bathroom, etc. All of it!" Matthew swiveled on his heels as he faced Kiku, beaming too happily. "It was very hard planning out the fake death of my brother, you know. I had to go to weird places to find a gas that would make him choke up and pass out. Plus, tying that fake bag of blood around him so when the ax came down that's what would spill was really difficult. His reaction made it perfect though! Thank God for the Placebo Effect*. Ha, whatever answer you chose, he still would've been the one to 'die'. I just didn't think you would actually choose him to die—"

"I didn't!" Kiku interjected, eyes narrowing with anger. "I chose to save Alfred!"

Matthew chuckled, giving a soft shrug. "That's not what I saw."

Feliciano stared at Matthew silently, still dazed to the entire situation. Matthew was the maniac? But... that made no sense. Was he really this upset with how he thought he stood in their friend group? Matthew was their friend and Feliciano always thought of him being equal to them all! He knew sometimes Matthew was left out or talked over but he couldn't believe all of that would make him act upon doing something like this. This was... psychotic! Who would've thought of pulling such a gruesome and strenuous pranks?! This wasn't even a prank! This all didn't add up. Feliciano furrowed his brows as his stomach churned uneasily. This was sickening. He didn't feel safe up here.

Hesitantly, Feliciano got up from his seat, slowly coming to terms that this was all fake and nothing would hurt him anymore. He rubbed his bruised wrists as he quickly shuffled his way over to Gilbert.

"Gil? Hey, Gil, are you okay?" The brunet questioned softly, tilting his head. Gilbert remained in his seat with his head hanging, the tears still quietly dripping from his eyes. He stared blankly at his legs as if in a trance. Feliciano put his hand on his, squeezing it gently to try and get his attention. "Gilbert?-"

"Jeez, Gil, lighten up. It wasn't real! None of it was real!" Matthew exclaimed, letting out a breath as he smiled wide. "Quit being a baby about it. Can't you take a joke-"

Suddenly, Gilbert pushed himself off his seat, startling Feliciano beside him. In an instant, he punched Matthew square in the face, causing him to collapse backwards.

"Gil!" Feliciano shouted, shocked as he watched his friend climb on top of Matthew and continuously throw punch after punch at the boy.

Gilbert didn't say anything. He simply swung his arms and fists around, bashing Matthew. Matthew whimpered, holding his hands to his face to block the other's constant blows. Unreadable eyes brimmed with tears glared down at the blond pinned down. No words exchanged. Just fists.

"Stop! Gilbert stop!" Feliciano screamed now, brows raised in disbelief.

Quickly, Gilbert stopped, blinking away his tears. Matthew lied beneath him, blood streaming from his nose as dark purple smudged his cheeks and lip. Feliciano expected Matthew to be whimpering and crying considering the surprise of Gilbert's attacks and the intensity of them. However, the boy wasn't doing any of the sort. Instead, he was smiling almost wickedly as he stared up at his attacker's broken face.

Surprising Feliciano even more, Gilbert spoke, his voice painfully quiet. "Shut up you sick psycho... shut the fuck up." He grabbed the front of Matthew's shirt, jerking him half way off the floor. Crimson eyes cracked with tears and anger and guilt glared harshly down into insensitively calm and pleased violet ones.

Matthew smirked up at Gilbert as he listened to him continue. "We called for help through a radio in the basement before all this... when the rescue team gets here, we're reporting you to the police."

An on-edge silence filled the room as everyone stared at Gilbert. Yes, this had all gone way too far... All of it. Feliciano knew whatever Matthew thought was right was not. As much as the other claimed it to be a simple joke, the effects of such actions were way too intense. This was psychologically scarring.

"Let's all go back upstairs." Kiku broke the silence, looking around at them. "Tie him up so he doesn't do anything rash. We'll talk about all this upstairs."

A bitter laugh came from Matthew as Feliciano shakily began to tie his hands behind his back. Gilbert pushed himself out of the way, standing up gingerly.

"You're all stupid. This was a perfect prank! Everything went so smoothly and your reactions were priceless! It was totally worth it. This was a long time coming. How come you guys can't take the-"

"This wasn't a prank, Matthew!" Kiku shouted, trying to help Alfred get up. "You made your brother believe he was dying and dead! You hurt Gilbert's back! You caused so much panic! We all thought we were done for up here! This has gone way farther than a simple prank! This... This was traumatizing!"

He spoke for them all, for they all agreed yet couldn't form words to say it properly. All of this was incredibly traumatizing, for some more than others.

With a scoff, Matthew dismissed Kiku's call out, furrowing his brows a bit as Feliciano tightened the ropes around his wrists.

"Can you stand up?" Kiku questioned gently to Alfred who was now free of his restraints. He held out his hand to help him but Alfred flinched nervously, shuffling away from his friend.

"Don't touch me." was all he mumbled softly before standing up on his own, turning away from Kiku and walking towards the exit in front of them all. Kiku looked after him, biting his lip uneasily. Did Alfred really believe he chose Matthew to save over him?

Once Matthew was completely tied up, Feliciano turned to Gilbert. He put his hand on his, holding it with care. "Let's go upstairs, okay?"

Gilbert nodded silently, taking in a shaky breath. His entire demeanor was off and unsteady yet he tried to hold together for a little bit. Feliciano took note of this, being mindful of how he approached him. Through out the entire trip Gilbert was there to calm him, make him feel better. Now he had to do the same with him.

Slowly, they all got up and began making their way back upstairs. As they walked, soft patters of footsteps from thudded against the floors above.

 _Francis and Arthur must be back_ , Feliciano thought. He wondered what end of Matthew's devious prank they fell into.

...

 _Is this what you wanted? This wasn't the reaction you expected, was it? You sick bastard._

 _Matthew smiled without any trace of guilt or regret, standing up straight as he stared at the man before him._

 _"This was exactly what I wanted. They deserve it."_

 _..._

A/N:

I apologize if this was kind of hard to follow or rushed. In the next few chapters I will focus more upon the effects of the prank. This was just to reveal who the maniac was and give a taste of the effects of it all. (I'll go into more on Gilbert and the tension between Alfred and Kiku. Also the shift in characterization with Feliciano and reasons with Matthew.)

But anyways, yeah :') here you go for those who still read this haha. Only like one or two people actually guessed it to be Matthew. Ha lots of you fell into my trap of making it think it was Alfred ;)  
like I said,  
It's not exactly like the game.

If this was confusing, please watch the reveal of the maniac on an Until Dawn playthrough. It will make much more sense with that. Just search on YouTube "Until Dawn Maniac Reveal" and stuff should pop up.

Please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews! I love to hear from you all! :)


	15. Ludwig -Flashback-

[ Gilbert's P.O.V ]

 **2 years ago**

 _"Come on, brother! The pirates are coming after us!"_

 _I watched as my little brother, Ludwig, dashed before me into the forest of trees that surrounded our house. His small bear feet made imprints in the wet soil below, leaving little footprints behind him. My own bear feet pressed over his tracks as I ran behind him._

 _"We have to get above ground! Their swords will be licking our ankles if we stay down here!" I shouted, hearing a string of giggles erupt from him._

 _We were playing out imaginative game called "Island". We were stragglers on an abandoned island and we survived in the palm trees. However, the 'palm trees' were just the regular, tall trees around our house. In the game now, apparently, pirates were after us and we needed to get away from them._

 _I chuckled as I watched Ludwig quickly scurry up the tree, tiny hands grabbing at every open branch. Closely I followed, climbing up the same branches my little brother climbed._

 _It was an incredibly cool day with the perfect amount of sunlight which made it a wonderful day to go out and play. Up above, the sun peaked through the treetops, leaving a beautiful pattern of light green shadows on the ground below. Directing my attention back up, I pulled myself higher up the tree before settling myself on a thick branch._

 _"Ha ha! Those pirates can't touch us up here!" Ludwig yelled happily, sitting atop his own sturdy branch._

 _"Yeah, those suckers have nothing on us!" I exclaimed with a childish cheer, leaning back calmly against the tree trunk._

 _People often made fun of me for always hanging with Ludwig and playing these childish games with him. Hell, I'm 16. Boys my age would be out in malls hanging about or doing who knows what behind their parents' backs. I would be doing the same but I have to stay with my brother and keep him happy and well. That's my responsibility. Besides, I do have my own group of friends at school. We hang out every week or so at least once— and once a year we go up to one of their family's lodge in the mountains which is very neat._

 _Ludwig let out a sigh of triumph as he lied back on the tree trunk as well, looking up at the treetop. I watched his joyful gaze look past the leaves and through the little openings that revealed the clear blue sky._

 _"Hey Gil," Ludwig said with a smile, continuing to stare up at the sky, "do you think we'll be able leave this place one day? Like, go on a real adventure?"_

 _I exchanged the smile with a nod, "Of course. I promise you one day we'll go on all sorts of adventures! Just me and you, bro. We'll go everywhere in the world."_

 _His smile flickered a bit. "Just us, right? I don't want to bring dad with us."_

 _I bit my lip for a bit, my eyes trailing to the bruise on my brother's cheek._

 _Our dad was never the best person. He constantly bashed on my brother and I for the silliest and most meaningless things. It was impossible for us to ever please him. I believe it's because he blames us for mom leaving us even though I know full and well that mom left because he never did anything to help out around the house. Yet, he always blames us for it and puts so much shit on us. I understand the entire gravity of the situation and know what's truly right from wrong, but Ludwig is so young. Whatever dad says, he believes. Dad constantly yells and slaps him around, calling him every name in the book._

 _"No. Dad won't be coming with us." I responded strongly, making sure Ludwig knew I meant it. "Only nice people are allowed on our adventures. The only nice people in the house are you and me. Dad won't be allowed to be with us."_

 _Ludwig nodded, his face dropping all happiness that he once bore. I felt my heart fall to my stomach. I hated my dad for yelling at Ludwig. When I was the only child, I believed everything Dad told me. Every insult, every remark. I don't want Ludwig to grow up believing the lies Dad drives into his mind. He's only 8 years old and I know he believes everything without any self contradiction._

 _"Gilbert... I know dad is mean and everything," Ludwig mumbled, lowering his head to fidget with the twigs growing from the branch, "but... what if he's right about what he says about me. What if I really am stupid and useless-"_

 _"No, Luddy, you're not. I promise you you're not." I interjected quickly, frowning. "You're not stupid or useless, okay? You're incredibly smart and clever in so many ways. I know you'll go far in life with your intellect. Hell, you're one of the smartest kids in your class! Don't ever think little of yourself."_

 _He kept his head down, the twig in his fingers bending and twisting. I continued._

 _"Dad is the stupid one for thinking you're nothing. You're one of the smartest and capable kids I've ever seen and I'm not just saying that cause I'm your brother. Dad is... He's a terrible person, Luddy. He's not right all the time even if he claims he is. The only time he is right on anything is when he says our house sucks cause it does. And that's not our fault. That's his fault."_

 _Ludwig nodded, biting his bottom lip. "I guess..."_

 _I fell quiet for a bit, a silence settling upon us. My blood boiled with anger towards our dad. I knew as much as I reassured Ludwig he was okay and that Dad was terrible he wouldn't be able to believe and comprehend this with me fully. He is still a child. Children are devoted to their parents no matter how cruel they are. They believe the shit that's thrown at them and accept it sadly. It's not until they grow up and mature to realize what kind of crap parents they have. It took me ages to realize and I want more than anything to break Ludwig's childish devotion to our pathetic dad._

 _"Do... Do you think on one of our adventures we can see mom again?"_

 _The question squeezed my heart as I heard it. We both loved our mother. She was the sweetest person we've ever known. When she left, I was for it. She wasn't happy with Dad. Dad stressed her out and blamed her for everything wrong. He would constantly yell at her and force her to do every single thing, putting every chore and responsibility on her back. I preferred her to leave and break all connection because that was best for her. I didn't want her having to endure Dad... I would take all the insults in the world for her and that's exactly what we did when she left._

 _"Of course. We can go visit mom and maybe she'll even want to join us on our adventures!" I piped up encouragingly, grinning genuinely at the thought. "You know how she loved playing with us."_

 _Ludwig chuckled, reaching up to pluck a leaf from the branches above. He waved it around like a flag before letting it float gently down to the forest floor._

 _"Yeah! The three of us will be the best adventurers ever! We can be the three musketeers!" I laughed at the name, reaching over to ruffle Ludwig's usually gelled back blond hair._

 _For a good twenty minutes, the both of us simply sat in the tree and talked about where we would go. Ludwig had big sights on going to Europe, more specifically Germany. Our family came from there and we used to hear wondrous stories from our grandfather about the life and history there. It sounded like an amazing place we both desired to go at least once in our life. Traveling the vast mountains, exploring the native wildlife there, discovering the traces of family history embedded in German soil. All of the war stories and ancestral facts passed down to us only fueled our curiosity and need to go see what we can for ourselves._

 _When the sun began to melt away for the moon I decided it was best we go back inside. Dad never liked it when we were out for too long. Plus, I always make sure to try and avoid as many unneeded lectures and smacks as possible for the both of us._

 _"Hey, Lud, lets go back. We don't want to get swallowed up by the darkness out here." I said , swinging my leg over the branch as I got ready to climb down._

 _Ludwig nodded, straightening up as well. "Yeah! Let's go! The pirates will probably climb up here soon! We have to leave before they come!"_

 _I chuckled in agreement, finding my footing before slowly descending back down to the forest floor. Ludwig climbed down beside me, sticking his tongue to the side in concentration as he climbed. The sun had already disappeared so it wasn't as easy to see everything as it was before._

 _The thought of going back to the house caused a stir of displeasing feelings inside me. Up here in the trees and out here with Ludwig... it was our only way to escape life back there. It was refreshing and relaxing. Since I was 16, it's my age peak where boys start to lose their sense of childish desires and fun and go towards being an adult. I didn't want to be an adult yet, or at least lose my child charm. Being out here with Ludwig... it's renewing. It's nice to just let go and be a kid._

 _Snap._

 _My thoughts were suddenly interrupted as I heard a branch above me crack. Shockingly, I saw Ludwig's body tremble as he held on desperately to the unstable branch._

 _"G-Gil!" He cried out, feet scraping the tree trunk as he desperately tried to find some footing. However, there was none. All the other branches had snapped off and become simple nubs. He'd accidentally went to a dead end part of the tree._

 _"Hang on! I'm coming!" I shouted reassuringly, beginning to climb back up to reach him. Looking down, I noticed how far away we were still from the floor. Shit._

 _The branch continued to crack and splinter at every passing second as I climbed, luring whimpers from my little brother._

 _"Gilbert, hurry!" Ludwig pleaded, the scraping of the bottom of his shoes echoing in my ears as I climbed._

 _My breathing quickened as I watched myself travel up, feeling as if I wasn't making any progress. Ludwig was still so far up. I hadn't noticed how much faster I was going than him._

 _All of a sudden, the world around me suddenly began to slow._

 _The final snap of the branch broke through my ears, piercing my heart. In horror, I watched Ludwig fall backwards from the tree, arms and legs flailing helplessly. He fell right beside me and further, his tiny hand reaching up for something to reach and hold onto. I quickly threw out my hand out in an attempt to catch him but the air was too thick. My hand couldn't reach his fast enough. He slipped through my fingers and in defeat I was left to watch him fall straight down._

 _"Ludwig!" I screamed, my entire body frozen in fear._

 _I will never forget the sound of the deafening crack when he reached the ground. He fell staring up at me and landed still locking eyes with me. I shakily shuffled my way down the tree, tears blurring my vision._

 _"Luddy? Are you okay?"_

 _No answer._

 _"Ludwig, please answer me. A-Are you alright?"_

 _Silence._

 _Through my haze of silent panic, my foot missed a branch and I, too, felt myself tumble down to the Earth below. There was a sudden sharp pain in my side and leg as I felt a rock lodge into my torso but that didn't matter. I dismissed the growing warmth that trailed down my knee and stomach. Quickly, I crawled over to where Ludwig was, looking over him._

 _I will never forget the sight of him. He lied still on the damp soil, unresponsive. His blue eyes were half lidded, still staring up at the leaves above. They held no shine anymore. They were dull. His face was frozen in despair, I saw as he fell. It was forever engraved across his facade. Beneath his head, I saw a puddle of wet crimson seep into the dirt._

 _"L-Ludwig?" I mumbled, shakily putting a finger to his neck. There was no pulse._

 _"Hey, Luddy, w-wake up..." I pried, my heart racing. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no._

 _I shook him, eyes darting everywhere on his body for whatever responsive sign I could get. But, I got nothing. Only the uneasy silence and sight of my still brother._

 _This... This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. My little brother... My only family. He couldn't be... no... He couldn't be..._

 _I slipped my arm underneath his neck, feeling a cry break through my lips as I felt the distinctive sticky red liquid flow from him. My body trembled as I held him close to my chest, eyes wide with disbelief. This couldn't be happening. I wouldn't accept it. I wouldn't._

 _"L-Ludwig! Please! A-Answer me!" The words cascaded from my lips with the salty tears that poured down my cheeks. My shoulders shook as strained cries erupted from me. "Don't be dead... Don't be dead! You can't be d-dead! Please...!"_

 _My entire world was destroyed. My own brother... dead in my arms. I wasn't fast enough to save him. If only I was closer to him, I would've been able to catch him when he fell. If only I was able to reach him in time. But... I didn't. And for that reason he was limp in my arms, eyes forever open with the sight of broken hope._

 _I screamed out into the night as my countless attempts to receive and answer failed. I felt my voice crack and break constantly as I yelled and sobbed and cried. I ran my hands through Ludwig's hair, feeling myself grow sick at the feel of him growing cold. Everything was going so fast. So so fast._

 _Just a moment ago, we were talking happily together about adventures of the future. And now... Now I was holding the body of my dead brother, drenched in his blood._

 _"No- No, you can't b-be dead, you can't-" I screamed, words slurring together with my cries, "W-We have to go on adventures...! You... You and I- fuck, Ludwig, p-please! Please... Please don't leave me! I'm s-sorry...! I'm so sorry I w-wasn't fast enough! I'm sorry! Please come back! P-Please!"_

 _He didn't come back. He never did._

 _He slipped through my fingers and his blood was forever on my hands._

 _My little brother... My only family that mattered. He... was gone._

 _From that, I lived a nightmare that I never woke up from. The events of that day and failed actions I made constantly plaguing me._

 _..._

 **A/N:**

 **Just a quick insight what happened with Gil and Ludwig.**

 **I consider Gilbert the main character of the story so I wanted to go more in depth with his internal struggles since it's big to his character.**


	16. Message Delivered

Francis ran in a daze back towards the lodge, his cracking sobs and frozen air trailing behind him. Despite the unbearable twinge in his side and feet, he continued to push his way through the demented trees and wildlife that lurked off the path. His eyes stayed straight on the pathway before him, never daring to even turn his head in case of catching a glimpse of something he was praying was not there.

 _I left Arthur... I left Arthur._

That single thought echoed around his head, pressing guilty weight down onto his shoulders. He shouldn't have left. He could've helped him! Yet, that look in his eyes... the force in his voice... Fuck. Why did he let Arthur make such a 'heroic' decision? Why did he have to play the role of a coward?

Miraclously, Francis reached his destination and threw himself down on the wooden steps that led up to the lodge. He lifted his buzzing head, seeing the insides to be quiet and dark. It looked like no one got the power up in the end. Maybe that would be an advantage to them... Those monsters could be attracted by the light.

God, he hoped everyone else was safe. Hopefully regretfully leaving Arthur will have some positive outcome.

Staggering up the steps with difficulty, Francis forced his battered body towards the lodge. His fingers trembled as he grabbed the door knob, shoving it open before slamming it shut behind him.

The sudden silence and stillness from the world outside was deafening, almost overwhelming. Francis found himself tripping into the parlor, vision distorted and constantly shifting in and out of focus like a camera not knowing what needed its attention. In snippets, he got a glimpse of the new things that met his eyes in the lodge: a broken picture frame, a ouji board in the kitchen, the hand pillows on the couch on the floor in a messy manner.

Suddenly, Francis felt two hands grab him by his shoulders, instinctively making him to flinch and move away. His foot hit the small table before the couch, causing him to fall onto the floor. The hand touched him again, forcing Francis to face whoever was before him.

"...happened?"

Francis blinked, quickly realizing Kiku was standing above him, his hand on his shoulder in a friendly manner. Behind him was Gilbert with Feliciano standing before him, mirroring Kiku's concerned look. Matthew stood close beside Kiku with his hands tied tightly in rope. Alfred stood right beside Gilbert, staring at Francis blankly.

"Francis, are you okay?"

Francis flickered his attention from each individual to the next, not knowing what to think or say first. He needed to warn them. Those monsters could be right on his tail and show up at the door any time now. God, he can't let his abandonment on Arthur be in vain for not being able to spit out the words in time.

With a shaky breath, he responded, "Dangerous- We, We have to go. We have to go help Arthur. There's monsters- They're going to kill us! We're all vunerable... They- fuck, we have to leave. Arthur is in danger. We-"

All of the words that fell from Francis's quivering lips were shoved on top on each other without any pause in between. He knew he probably sounded like a mad man but that didn't matter. No matter how he did it, he needed to warn them. Before it was too late.

To his surprise, Kiku sighed and took his hand to help him stand up.

"Francis, relax, you're fine." He said calmly, perplexing Francis even further. "This was all a prank. Matthew was just being a dick and freaking us out." He frowned, looking over the blonde's battered body before shooting a glare at Matthew. "You're fucking sick, Matthew."

Feliciano stepped forward, giving a reassuring smile, "It's okay, Francis. We're not in danger. Matthew was just playing a joke on us. We're all fine."

"Wh-What? No, no. This isn't a prank!" Francis exclaimed, his heart hammering in against his chest. Every second wasted here could determine Arthur's current living status. And the fact that no one believed him was frustrating. "You guys have to believe me! We- We have to go out there and get Arthur! He's in trouble!"

Feliciano sighed, pulling Francis into a pitiful hug. "Francis... it's all fake. It's not real. You're okay."

Kiku crossed his arms, facing Matthew, "What else did you do, huh? Where did you put Arthur? Is he drugged in another broken freezer too?""

Matthew, the only one mirroring Francis's distress, shook his head. "Look, I didn't do anything to Arthur or Francis! I have no idea what he's talking about!"

"Oh yeah? And why should we believe what you say! After all of this you put on us!" Kiku snapped, truly fed up with everything that's happened tonight. "Just quit it with your lies."

Francis felt his breathing quicken as anxiety started clawing at his heart. "No! He's right! He didn't do anything! We really are in danger! There's these- these monsters out there! They're going to kill us!"

Feliciano took Francis hand, gently tugging him to go sit on the couch. "Take deep breathes, okay? Please, calm down. We aren't in any danger. Those were just fake props and probably speakers like the ones around the rest of the house. None of it was real!"

"Yeah, just sit down," Gilbert spoke up to say, giving Francis a pity stare.

He couldn't believe it... They all thought this was a lie. They thought he was delusional and all of this was some sort of elaborate prank. Personally, he could care less about whatever Matthew apparently did because he knew for a fact these events didn't correlate whatsoever. That monster was _real_. His wounds were _real_. Arthur's life threatening situation was _real_.

Francis began to shake as his friends' constant words of reassurance echoed around him. They morphed along with Arthur's terrified voice. He was running out of time. He was running out of time. He was running out of time. He was-

"LISTEN TO ME!" Francis screamed, eyes wide with terror. His body shook violently as he stared at his friends with tears in his eyes. "This is not a fucking game! I don't care about what Matthew did! Arthur can be dying as we speak! He's being held down in the mines from a vicious monster and is in terrible danger! Every second you guys spend not believing me is another second Arthur could be dying or dead! So, if you could, fucking listen to me!"

An uneasy silence spread over the room as everyone simply stared at Francis in utter disbelief. Could this be true? Is there more horrors on this mountain than Matthew's sick prank? Feliciano felt his fear from before creep back as his face fell in terror. Kiku's eyes widened in shock, now, truly, believing in Francis's horror stricken words of plea.

"...What?" Alfred was the first speak up, his voice hushed.

Francis broke down in strained cries as everything he's been holding in since leaving the mines came flooding into him. He dug his fingers in his messy blond hair, shaking his head through his cries. "I-I had to leave Arthur to get to you guys... I left him to warn you all and-and now he could be dead. He could be dead! He told me to go and- fuck, I didn't want to! I should've stayed there! I shouldn't have left him! I should've... I should've..."

Quickly, Feliciano embraced Francis in a hug, which the other male accepted wholeheartedly, burying his face into the smaller boy's shoulder.

"I'm glad you came to tell us." Gilbert said, stepping up to Francis. "We're sorry we didn't listen before- it's been a really rough night. Listen, we'll all go down to those mines and get Arthur, okay?"

"But how?" Kiku questioned, "If there really are monsters down there just like Francis said, how will we make down there? What if we have to fight the monster?"

No one responded right away. Even Francis had no answer on how to do so. That skeleton like freak back there seemed too powerful and capable of staying on its feet. He couldn't think of anything that could possibly do it any harm. It was too strong and inhuman to be hurt by some measly objects they had here in the lodge.

Suddenly, there was a hard knock at the front door, causing everyone to tense up. Francis turned pale as his eyes stared at the door in fear. Was that the monster? Had it finally caught up with him? Shit, was he too late?

Being braver than anyone else, Gilbert approached the door, cautiously putting his hand to the handle. Out of the frosted window on the front door, the tall figure of a man was all that could be seen. Francis relaxed just a tad. That wasn't the shape of a Wendigo. So then, who was this...?

Slowly, Gilbert opened the door, revealing the figure who stood before them all.

A tall man in a really thick coat and scarf stood before him. He had a stuffed-to-the-brim backpack on his back with various weapons poking out from within it. A flask hung from clip on his pants, occasionally clinking together with the knife that also hung there when he shifted on his feet. He brushed his beige hair out of his face, revealing his very light skin and stoic facade. The man stared at the group of teenagers with soft violet eyes, narrowing them when he saw Francis.

"I am taking it that you are Francis." The man spoke with the quirk of his brow. His voice was laced in an authentic Russian accent, taking everyone by surprise.

Francis's eyes widened, now being able to put a face to the name.

"Are you... Ivan?" Francis inquired hopefully.

Ivan cracked a small smile with a nod. "Da."

A/N:

I did not pre-read any of this so I'm posting this without any revisions so excuse any mistakes or miswordings. I just want to get this chapter out there. I'll revise it later when I have time.

Enjoy.

Please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews I love hearing from you all.


	17. Diary

"Wendigos?"

The group of teens sat in terror as Ivan explained to them exactly what he explained to Arthur down in the mines. They were sitting in the parlor with Ivan sitting on the singular arm rest chair, Gilbert, Alfred, Francis, and Feliciano sitting on the sofa, and Kiku standing next to the fireplace where Matthew was tied up.

"Yes, that's what they're called. I just said it." Ivan retorted, finding it irritating how they repeated every obvious thing he explained. "They will kill you if you are not careful or quiet. And, with all of the antics you all have been doing up here, you're on a one way path to death."

Feliciano shifted uncomfortably at the new information, casting anxious glances out the window as if expecting to see one there. To think, monsters like that existed in the real world. Sure, he knew there were always supernatural beings, but... ones like this? And one where he was in a situation with them? It was unbelievable and terrifying.

"How do we protect ourselves from them?" Kiku asked, biting his lip nervously. "Surely, there has to be something, right? They can't be invincible."

Everyone nodded in agreement, clinging on to that ray of hope that there was some way they can be protected by this.

Ivan let out a short laugh before swinging his massive backpack off his back. It hit the table with a loud thud, startling Feliciano and Alfred. With a closer view of it, the friends could see a rather thin tub snaking through the backpack, connected to a tank that was strapped to the side.

"Fire." The Russian stated simply. "Wendigos are afraid and can be killed by fire. However, do not kill them. If you kill a wendigo, their spirit will be released and find their way into some other person." The friends stiffened at the sound of that, causing Ivan to roll his eyes. "No, not just anyone like one of you morons. The only way to become one of these things is through starvation and feasting off human flesh. When a starving human resorts to eating another human in order to survive, they turn into a monster, forever damned into eating viciously as a hideous wendigo. I've locked up many of them in a building not too far from here to keep from having anyone else turn into these things... or eaten by them. However, there's still one or two running around since they're fairly new."

Feliciano winced softly in discomfort as he thought about his brother... Could he possibly have been eaten by one of those? God, just the thought of it made him want to puke. No... he couldn't think like that. There's no way that could've happened.

"C-Can you take us to get Arthur?" Francis inquired shakily, trying to keep his composure. "I don't mean to be rude and impatient but... he's down there! He's been taken by one of those things! He could be dying or-or dead and-"

"He's probably dead." Ivan said in a matter-of-fact tone. Francis flinched at the other's confidence in the statement. "If the wendigo had already taken him, then he is probably dead. I've seen the wounds on his body and how he was tossed down there when he didn't listen to me. By now, he's probably already become a feast for the monster. There's no use in going down there. It's best if you all just stay here and—"

Ivan's words were cut off as a fist punched him squarely on the side of the face with surprising strength. He fell off the chair as Francis threw himself over the table to continuously hit the man over and over where he could.

"How DARE you give up on him so easily! You don't know if he's dead! Stop saying that he is! We have to rescue him! We can't just leave him down there, you worthless piece of sh-"

"Francis!" Feliciano yelled, wrapping his arms around the boy's stomach to try and pry him off the older man. Francis allowed himself to be pulled back as he was shoved into the couch once again. His eyes were narrowed in anger and despair as he glared over at Ivan. Ivan sat upright on the chair once again, rubbing his now red cheek.

He mirrored Francis's glare, but not out of anger. It was out of intolerance and tiredness.

"You think I don't know how these things play out, boy?" He spat in a low voice. "You think I don't know what it's like to lose someone and go back only to lose another? I lost my _little sister_ to those beasts. She was only ten years old. We were up here looking for a place to live since our parents passed away, leaving my older sister and I to care for Natalya. One day when she went off chasing a rabbit, she jus disappeared. We saw a glimpse of the wendigo dragging her down into the mines. My older sister was desparate to find her and get her back so we went back out there and tried to get her back. In the end, she was taken as well and killed and I was left all by myself. Alone. In a cold, isolated mountain... Going after your friend will only resort in more death and loss."

An uneasy silence spread out in the room, everyone looking from Ivan to Francis. Francis kept up his angry stare but softened it just a bit after hearing the story.

"I'm sorry about your sisters." Gilbert said sincerely, looking over at the man. He related too well to losing a family member, nonetheless a little sibling. Ivan waved his hand dismissively, the sorrows of his past holding no effect over him. It really hadn't been that long ago, but he knew it was best to not let grief get the better of him.

Francis stayed quiet for a moment after that before speaking up— not with an impatient tone, but with a curious one. "Then why did you say you would help Arthur find me? Arthur told me he thought he got you killed because he left you when he thought he heard me. He said you were going to help him save me. Why then did you say you would help but now you won't?"

"Because I thought there was a chance it would turn out different." He said. "But it's going just like how it's always been and always will."

With that Ivan stood up, swinging his backpack over his back once again. He put his hood over his head and fixed the scarf that hung around his neck. The snow outside was calm, the winds only letting wisps of snow flutter and float through the air. There was no sound of initial danger out there nor was any sign of animal movement. All was peaceful.

"Look, I'll take you guys to the entrance of the mines but that's it. You're on your own from there."

Francis felt a sudden wave of relief crash over him at the words. There's still a chance... There's still a chance. He immediately jumped to his feet, biting back a wince at the aches and wounds on his body. His torso was still painted in cuts and bruises and bones in his body were still aching beyond belief but that didn't matter. If Arthur was still down there, he'd find a way to get him out, even if it took every last bit of him to do so.

Ivan continued, "I'll take you not because I think there's a way you can actually save your friend successfully, but because I don't care about what happens to you all. You've stirred enough trouble on here for me as it is."

"Thank you... thank you so much, Ivan." Francis said with a weak smile.

Ivan exchanged the smile with a frown, "You shouldn't be thanking me." He turned around before throwing open the door. "Come on. It's best we go while it's still safe outside."

With a swiftness obviously originated from adrenaline, Francis dashed outside, immediately at Ivan's side. Everyone else hesitated before slowly standing up. This was very risky, they all knew it. Francis knew what was exactly at stake and what dangers lied beyond the trees but was the most eager to go back out. The unpredictable and imaginative mindset of everyone else chilled them to the bone.

"What do we do with Matthew?" Feliciano inquired, causing everyone to look over at the tied up boy. Matthew sat at the foot of the fireplace, his arms strapped to his sides by the rope binding him in captivity. He stared up at everyone with a blank, annoyed gaze as a tiny smirk played along his lips.

"Leave him here." Gilbert mumbled, turning his back immediately to the prankster. "He's tied up so he can't follow nor can he do anything for the matter. He'll be fine."

Without even listening to anyone else's remarks upon the decision (if they had any) he followed Francis out the door. Alfred and Kiku stared after him for a while before they, too, followed. Feliciano stared after for a while, a pain setting in his stomach.

The sight of seeing Gilbert in such distress back at the basement... it was heartbreaking. There was only one other time he saw the male ever breakdown like that and that was at Ludwig's funeral. It took weeks for him to recover from that trauma and grief. Feliciano knew that at that moment Gilbert was trying to keep up a fake attitude and go back to how he was before— the rational, calm, leader figure of the group. But... what Matthew said down there really effected him. It reopened those wounds from his past and made them fresh and unbearable once more. Feliciano rubbed his arm awkwardly. God, he hoped Gilbert would be okay for the rest of the night... He knew he'd have to watch him. Maybe talk to him about what happened in the basement.

"Hurry along, Feli. Don't piss your pants from fright." Matthew sneered softly, leaning against the fireplace.

Feliciano turned to him, feeling his blood boil at the sight of him smirking away.

"Fuck you." He whispered, the mere action of speaking up causing him to tremble.

Before he could say anything else, he dashed out the door to meet up with everyone.

...

[ Arthur's P.O.V ]

I slowly began coming to my senses again, the world around me coming in muffled sound waves. I was lying on a cold, stone floor, which didn't surprise me at all. Damn. I was still down in those wretched mines. But... what happened before I got here? Francis... right. He left. I told him to go and luckily his big head didn't object to my plans. Dear God, I hope he's alright and made it back to everyone safe. Hopefully they've all gotten off of this mountain, or at least found safety. But what happened after that? Everything after Francis leaving was a blur. The only thing he knew was that he was being held by that wendigo.

The wendigo.

I snapped open my eyes quickly and attempted to push myself off the ground. I immediately regretted it as an immense pain shot through my side and leg. Blinking, I tried to focus my vision on what was around me. There was... rocks. Wow. Brilliant. Rocks. That's so bloody obvious to find in a damn mine. There was water dripping down from overhead which I assumed was melted snow that found its way in here. Perfect. That would explain the cold droplets that were randomly kissing my filthy body.

It appeared as if I was lying in the middle of a vast open space, probably in a vacant part of the mine. There were three openings in the area that just led deeper into the minds, not out. Lifting my heavy head, I squinted up just to see a hole up above that showed the moon peaking through. Great. The only way out was through up there. There was no way I could ever get myself out from there.

I whimpered softly as I tried to move my legs, the mere action of trying making my limbs feel as if they were being stabbed by the devil himself.

This was useless. All of this was pathetic. I curled up on the floor, hugging my arms as the chill of the night nipped at my exposed skin. Now, it was either I wait till I die from starvation or hypothermia or from that horrid wendigo that took me in the first place. It wasn't nearby, which was obvious to the absence of its shrill scream and terrifying body. However, that did perplex me... why wasn't it here? Why didn't it kill me when it had the chance to back when I was with Francis? Why didn't it kill Francis when it first took him? It just dragged us here and beat us up. Ivan said it feasted off people. Why didn't it kill us?

I let out a weak cry as I tried to move my legs again, wishing it really did kill me so I didn't have to feel this pain.

Looking around absentmindedly, I noticed something small propped up against the mine wall. It looked as if it was a notepad. What the hell is a notepad doing down here? Oh shit, maybe it was one of the miners' notepads. Maybe it showed a map or directions to how exactly one could get out of these mines.

With difficulty, I began to crawl- or, well, considering my useless legs- dragged myself towards the notepad. Mentally, I prayed over and over for it to hold something that was useful for me. Something that could save my life or at least prolong it until I figured out what to do. Once I reached the yellow pages, grabbed it and held it close to me so I could read what was on it. Unfortunately, there was no map of the mines or anything like that. Instead, it looked like it was a diary...

 _"Entry 1:_  
 _I fell down here I think hours ago... Fuck. He's dead. I can't believe he's dead._ _I just woke up and found him cold and pale beside me. I thought he was asleep or passed out but there was no heartbeat. There was no pulse. And, God, there was so much blood. He's- fuck. I can't take this. I need to find a way out."_

Someone... was trapped down here? Well, there was two going by what was written but only one survived. I wonder if they got out. Flipping the page, I read another entry:

 _"Entry 2:_  
 _I think it's been a day now. An entire day and I couldn't find any way out. I decided to bury him, you know. I couldn't just let his body rot out in the open. That's so barbaric and... he deserved a proper burial. I took off his stupid turtle shirt and used that as a gravestone. I'll replace it with a proper one if I can find some wood._  
 _It's so quiet down here... and it's getting so cold. I'm so hungry."_

Jesus... this is heartbreaking and chilling to read. I can't imagine being stuck down here for days on end. I better suck it up though cause from the looks of it, it seems I will be doing just that.

 _"Entry 3:_  
 _How long has it been? My hands are shaking as I write his. I'm so so hungry. There's no food. No water. No sign of getting out._  
 _I'm dead. I'm going to die."_

A sense of pity arose in my chest for this person as I read these words. The words on the pages were getting messier by each page, an obvious sign of weakness. I turned the page to read the next entry, it's contents sending chills down my spine. The words appeared as if they were scratched on or viciously scribbled in.

 _"Entry 4:_  
 _I... ate him. I dug up his grave and I ate him. I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do it. I just got so... so hungry. It felt as if I was going to go mad from starvation._  
 _You were the only thing available. I mutilated that perfect body of yours and consumed it into my own. Your arms... your legs... your stomach... everything. Except your head. I couldn't dare to harm that handsome face of yours. I still have that to remember you by..."_

I turned the page.

 _"Entry 5:_  
 _I'm stronger now. Oh, I'm so much stronger than ever. I feel as if my body's began to change and I'm being reborn as a new person._  
 _This feeling... it's astounding._  
 _It's all because I ate him._  
 _He gave me strength._  
 _Thank you, Ro-"_

It cut off there. I couldn't read more for the page was torn and scratched off. But, nonetheless, I felt fear suddenly cloud my head and vision. I couldn't believe what I just read. There were no names to who those people were but I had a strong feeling I knew who it was. Who fell down here that day. Who died. Who was left fending off on his own, alone. Who resorted to- to _eating_ the other person. Fuck...

I got to get out of here. I _need_ to get out of here.


	18. Twist

**[ TW: There is a mentioning of a planned suicide in this chapter. It's when Feliciano starts telling his story so if you don't want to read that, skip until you see ** ]**

 _I need to leave. I need to get out of here._

Arthur, who was now leaning against a rather damp boulder, looked around weakly for someplace to go. His vision started to blur in and out of focus like an old camera. Everywhere on his body was in either immense pain or numb from his injuries. With a raspy breath, Arthur got a grip on the rock, furrowing his brows in concentration.

"Okay... you can do this, Arthur. You can do this. You just have to stand. Stand and walk. It-It can't be that bad."

Inhaling deeply, Arthur made a quick push off of the rock, getting to his feet. The moment he put all his weight onto his feet, he let out a sharp cry and fell harshly back down onto the floor. He grabbed his side with a bloodied and bruised hand, the dark purple blemishes on his hands matching the countless ones on his torso. Fuck. It was a dead end. He couldn't get up. Even if there was a way he found an exit, he wouldn't even be able to make it there on his own.

"Goddammit." Arthur hissed at the pain throughout his body, tears brimming his eyes.

Suddenly, there was a chilling tapping and scratching to the mine walls followed by a looming shadow. Arthur whimpered at the recognizable silouette of the wendigo.

 _Is it here to finish me off? Or, is it going to keep me here till I die from hypothermia or my untreated wounds._

What still perplexed Arthur was why the wendigo hadn't killed him. Ivan said that they were deadly and killed anyone and anything that lived. Yet, it never made any move to kill him. All it did was hurt him and beat him up then leave him till it wanted to continue on. Maybe this was their way of killing... torturing until their prey died on its own. How barbaric.

The wendigo crawled along the floor like a contorted monster, eyes narrowed as it moved. Arthur simply lied there, staring at it. He felt the hairs on his neck stand up as it drew closer and closer to him.

 _Please... just kill me. Kill me, please... I can't endure this anymore._

Arthur begged silently, frightened to even utter this out loud. The wendigo continued to stride closer to him, the features of its terrifying features coming more into a detailed view. The boy felt hot tears roll down his freezing cheeks, the thundering of his heart echoing in his ears.

To his surprise, the wendigo suddenly stopped. Arthur opened his eyes again, noticing that the wendigo wasn't focusing on him anymore. No... it was looking up. It was looking at the opening above them. Arthur looked up as well, wondering what exactly caught its attention. He prayed silently that it was some deer or squirrel so it could leave him and hunt that instead. However, it was not a random forest animal that caught its attention. It was something that made Arthur's face drain in color.

"-not Matthew. I promise I'm telling the truth! I didn't-"

 _Oh no... Is that... Kiku? And the others?_

Arthur felt his breathing pick up as he began to panic. Shit. No. No. They didn't know what was down here. Were they all coming down here? Oh God, maybe they were coming down to save him... A small part of him was hoping that was true but a majority of himself was praying they weren't doing just that. If they were, then they would be risking their own lives for his and he did not want anyone to die let alone get hurt like how he was.

To his horror, the wendigo let out a short shriek before jumping up and climbing out of the mines towards the voices. Arthur felt his eyes water even more with tears— not out of pain but out of fright and anxiousness that now piled on top of him.

 _Oh God... Please no..._

...

The journey back towards the mines seemed shorter than the journey it took to get away. Luckily, there were no signs of a wendigo or threatening noises nearby as they walked. It lessened the tension off of everyone's shoulders but only slightly. Ivan remained on high alert with his hand ready to fend off anything if needed. Even in the middle of an obviously peaceful forest, they were all dying with anxiety.

Feliciano walked right behind Ivan with Gilbert to his left. He frequently glanced over at him to see if there was anything concerning about the taller boy... like with what happened down in the basement. No one could really read Gilbert as well as how Feliciano could. Feliciano was Gilbert's closest friend out of the group. They were each others helping hands, practically two peas in a pod. This being said, Feliciano knew it was his job to make sure Gilbert was truly okay.

"Hey, Gil?" the Italian boy said as Gilbert turned to him silently, "Is everything okay?"

Gilbert continued to walk, lowering his head so his eyes simply trailed along the snowy path. His lips pursed together for a moment before he let out a gloomy sigh. "It was just like Ludwig."

Eyes softening in expression, Feliciano reached over to put his hand gently on his friend's shoulder. He had a feeling it had something to do with his brother. With how everything went down there in the basement to how it unraveled in the past, both events went hand in hand. Gilbert slouched just a tad at Feliciano's kind touch, knitting his brows together as a shine of tears curtained his eyesight.

"It would be my fault if you guys died. All I had to do was answer a fucking question. I didn't even give a guess. I just froze in fear while putting you all in danger."

"But, we weren't in any danger. It was just a stupid pra-"

"I know it was a prank." Gilbert said shortly, letting out a regretful sigh at his tone. "I'm sorry. It's just... if I couldn't save Ludwig back then or do anything helpful back there... what's to say I'll be any helpful down here in these mines. What I fail to save you again? What if someone dies because of my lack of courage and ability to actually do something right? I can't have another death on my hands."

A frown began to grow upon Feliciano's face as Gilbert continued to speak his regrets and insecurities of what he was capable to do.

"Stop saying that." The shorter boy said rather sternly. Gilbert looked over at his friend, a tad surprised at how serious he sounded. Feliciano continued, "You've saved my life, believe it or not. No, not back at the basement, but months ago..." He turned away and stared out at the white capped trees around them. "When I lost Lovino and the time around the incident were the darkest times in my life. I was completely and utterly broken. You remember how I was. I would sit in my bed and just stare at the opposite twin bed beside me for hours without moving or saying anything. My grandfather who was equally grieving couldn't even stay with me for a long period of time because I look just like Lovino. So, I was practically left to care for myself which was something I was definitely incapable of doing.

"Everyone gave me pity stares and repetitive apologies and condolences every time they saw me. Soon, they all started distancing themselves from me just like my grandfather, except it was simply because they didn't want to deal with my moping. Everyone ceased to visit me since I was the same every time- motionless, silent, depressed. They all just continued on with their lives with the self assuring thought that 'oh he'll move on soon'. At the time, I really needed someone to be there for me- someone to just shove reality in my face and help me move on and accept what happened.

"It had gotten to the point where I was simply too tired to keep going. My own grandfather couldn't even look at me. None of my friends answered my silent pleas. I thought that if I just... if I just end it all it would be okay... That's what I was going to do, you know. I spent a week planning and gathering stuff I needed." Feliciano fell silent for a moment, swallowing the lump in his throat. He never shared this with anyone before nor did he ever think back upon it. It was a shameful memory he tried to compress inside him, hoping if he forgot, it would mean it never happen.

He continued, "The day before I was supposed to die, you showed up at my doorstep. Remember that day? You practically dragged me out of my house just to get a bowl of ice cream... I didn't talk, but that didn't fend you off. You kept speaking to me despite my lack of conversation. From that day, you kept showing up at my doorstep and forcing me out and into the real world little by little everyday. No matter how many times I cried, I complained, I ignored you, you still stood by me. You never left my side... you were there when I needed someone most and when everyone else abandoned me. If it wasn't for you, Gilbert, I would be 6 feet into the ground with a bullet in my head. So don't ever say that you'll never be able to save our lives because you've already saved mine."

Gilbert was at a loss for words. The crunching of the snow beneath their feet was the only sound to fill up the air around them. He simply couldn't believe what the other enclosed. Memories of those grieving days with Feli flooded his mind but not once did he ever imagine that the boy was planning something as harsh as that. Even more so, he had no idea exactly the impact of his own actions. Nothing that Feli gave off back then could ever heed warning of what he wanted to do.

Hesitantly, Gilbert reached over and took Feliciano's hand as they walked. He held it tightly in his own. Feliciano's eyes widened just a bit, looking over at Gilbert to find the boy was still staring off at the trees and scenery around them. However, just slightly, he could see a slight gleam on his cheeks from a few tears sliding down his cheeks. Stepping closer to him, Feliciano wrapped an arm around Gilbert, pulling him into a comforting embrace as they walked.

Not too far behind them was Alfred and Kiku, walking silently. Kiku had his hands shoved to the bottom his pockets, dread hanging over his head. Alfred faced away from his best friend as they walked, a dazed facade painting his face. So many things happened in this night- not to mention in just a handful of hours- it was disorienting. Alfred kept hugging himself as if afraid of something to pop out from all angles. His feet kept fidgeting through the snow, causing his walking pattern to be slightly unbalanced.

"Alfred," Kiku spoke up, "please talk to me..."

Alfred flinched from the sudden voiced words, recoiling when he noticed it was Kiku who spoke him. He took a step away from the boy as if trying to distance himself, which didn't go too well since he was also afraid of straying from the group and witness anything horrifying in the forest.

Desperate to speak to his friend, Kiku stepped towards him, trying to lock eyes with him. This tension between the two was unbearable for Kiku. He knew Matthew probably convinced him back at the slaughterhouse that he chose Matthew over him. That fact pained him and the fact Alfred might even believe it made it even worse.

"Alfred- please, listen to me." Kiku pried further, despair lightly coating his words. "I chose to save you, not Matthew. I'm telling the truth! I didn't want you to die back there. I promise, I chose you. You're my best friend, Alfred. I-"

"Matthew said you all left me back there." Alfred interrupted, his voice hushed. He continued walking stiffly, facing away from Kiku, reluctant to even look at him. "He said when everything happen, you just left me there. So, if I did die back there, you would just leave me to fucking rot."

His words were laced with hurt and a hint of anger as he spoke, his expression hardening in the slightest. His hands tightened their grip on his arms till his fingertips turned a faint white. Kiku opened his mouth to speak but closed it as he found that he had no answer to give. It was true that after everything that happened they all just left the slaughterhouse, not even paying to mind Alfred.

"We thought you were dead- We didn't know what would happen to us if we stayed there." Kiku tried to explain, "We didn't know if we were going to die too and- and we left without thinking. We didn't know what was going on and-"

"Bullshit." Alfred spat, anger now overcoming the rest of his emotions. "If that was you back there, I wouldn't leave you to rot in a damn slaughterhouse. Nice to see you wouldn't do the same for me."

Kiku felt his stomach twist at the words thrown at him. Deep down, he knew if it were Alfred in his shoes, he would've made an effort to try and bring his body back to the cabin. Hell, he didn't even think twice about how he was leaving Alfred there.

"Alfred, please I didn't-"

"Did you even check to see if I was actually dead?" Alfred pressed on, his voice rising in the slightest but not too much to get the attention of Feliciano, Gilbert, and Ivan. "Did you even make sure I was actually dead as you thought? Or did you just assume and left me like how you did?" Kiku was about to answer but Alfred cut him off, "No, you didn't check. If you did check, you would've known I wasn't actually dead. You just left me there. You fucking left me, Kiku."

With that, Alfred sped up his walking, moving around Gilbert and Feliciano to stand more up towards the front where Ivan and Francis were. Kiku remained in the back, immense regret and guilt squeezing his heart. He knew what Alfred said was true. He did just leave him up there. Right when he thought Alfred 'died', he didn't even check to make sure. The first thing he did and said was they had to leave and rushed to get out. It was as if Matthew's prank and act of pretending to be sad and heartbroken was just mocking the lack of loyalty Kiku had in his friendship with Alfred.

The group of friends were falling apart little by little- whether it be by external conflicts with one another or internal ones that silently plagued the mind. A night that was meant to restore the hurt caused by the mysterious and unfortunate events from last year instead opened up new wounds that slowly began to unravel everyone by the minute.

Under the falling snow that pricked and prodded at his unnerved and tattered body, Francis remained close to Ivan as they made their way back towards the mines. His eyes flickered back and forth from random trees and objects that appeared around them. Lips trembled and mouthed silent words as countless thoughts rushed within his head in a disorderly matter like a glitch in a computer.

 _I'm so close, Arthur. We're coming... We're coming to get you._

"I know you want to save your friend." Ivan spoke, glancing to his side to look at Francis. "But, don't get your hopes up."

"We'll get him. Stop- Stop saying that we won't."

"You might save him, but you also might not. The latter is more likely in the current situation and the state I saw him in. Just make sure you're prepared to properly grieve if things don't go your way."

The teen knitted his brows together at the other's pessimistic words, his own hopeful ones increasing. No... he knew he was going to get Arthur out of there alive. Nothing was going to get in his way. Even if it came to risking his own life, he was determined to make that choice.

Ivan remained silent the rest of the way, knowing it best not to poke further at the poor boy's already distraught demeanor.

...

Surprisingly enough, the group got to the entrance of the mines in one piece. It was a shock to Ivan that nothing dangerous showed up in their short but risky journey over there. Maybe that was a sign that that one wendigo was still with Arthur. Maybe...

"Your friend is in there." Ivan said, with a nod of the head. "I would assume he can be found towards the bottom of the mines... that's where they like to stay. Make sure you keep track of where you're going so if you need to get out quickly you'll know where to go. Also, keep quiet. The wendigos' visions are by movement. If you move, they will see you. Same goes for how much noise you make. If you're cornered by one, stay perfectly still and silent until they go away."

They all took in every word he said carefully knowing it would be very important to remember when they're down there. Francis took even more care into what was said, knowing he was going to prove the man wrong with his doubt in saving Arthur.

"Ivan," Feliciano spoke up, eyes shifting from the steps leading down to the mines and the man, "is there no way you can, um, come with us? We-We don't know everything like you do. I-"

"This was your decision, not mine." Ivan interjected, raising both brows at the Italian. "You chose to come down here despite your ignorance. This is as far as I'm going to help."

The answer fueled the anxiety scratching at Feliciano's bones but he did not consult further. It was true with what Ivan said. They all did come down here and agree to go despite their lack of knowledge and with the knowledge Ivan would not come with them.

Clearing his throat with a shaky breath, Francis looked up at Ivan. "Thank you for taking us down here."

A rough smile appeared on Ivan's lips as his facade softened. "You shouldn't be thanking m-"

Ivan's words were suddenly stifled when a high pitched shriek broke through the air. Everyone jolted in surprise as they looked hastily around them to see where it was coming from and what it was. Francis, on the other hand, went pale.

In the middle of the path they just walked on, a bony, rigged wendigo stood; it hunched over in a menacing stance, baring its razor sharp teeth at the group. Its eyes were narrowed as it stared straight at the group. White, scarred limbs moved towards them slowly, needle-like fingers dragging on snowy floor. Ivan's eyes widened as his hands instinctively moved over the group of teens in a protective manner. There was no way they could just stay still till it went away. It already noticed them.

"Run." Ivan hissed over at the boys, eyes never moving off of the threatening wendigo.

"What?-"

"I said, run!"

Without even a second's hesitation, Ivan pushed the boys down the steps. The wendigo screeched and lunged towards them all, its deadly claws outstretched. Moving as fast as they could, the boys dashed down the steps. Through it all Francis grimaced at the pain in his side but focused more on the adrenaline pumping through him to keep his pace up. No, no. This wasn't good. Shit. They had to go somewhere- they had to hide.

Ivan moved behind them, fingers fumbling for the contents of his backpack. The wendigo locked its eyes onto him, its attention not even being focused on the group of boys. Right when Ivan got hold of the tank, it was too late. The wendigo reached forward and grabbed Ivan into its grasp, jerking him upwards.

Francis, leading the group, looked desperately for someplace that could give them potential protection from the wendigo if it followed where they went. Everywhere he looked appeared to swim before his eyes in a blurred manner. The sound of the shrieks behind him and frantic breathing of his friends and his own buzzing in his mind. It was all too much. It was too overwhelming. It was too-

"Quick, over here!" Gilbert pointed to an entrance to a tunnel that probably ventured further into the mines. He didn't know where it went but it went away from this area which seemed to be the best idea for now. The boys nodded and made a turn towards the entrance.

Feliciano, at the end of the group, slowed his run as he heard a scream behind them. It wasn't a monstrous one but a human one. Turning back, he saw Ivan being held up in the wendigo's grasp, struggling to get free. Ivan saw Feliciano standing there like a complete idiot.

"Run! I'll hold it back-" Ivan yelled, a pained scream interrupting his words as the wendigo tightened its grip.

Suddenly, the wendigo impaled Ivan's stomach with its sharp fingers. Ivan gasped, eyes widening in shock. A dark crimson began to drip from the corners of his mouth as a raspy cough escaped his lips. The previously stoic facade melted away into a terrified one, eyes cracking in fear. The entire time he kept his gaze on Feliciano, who was frozen where he stood.

"R-Run..." Ivan spluttered, his voice now desperate instead of commanding. The light behind his violet eyes dulled as his body slowly grew limp. Lifeless, his head lulled forward, beige hair curtaining his forever frozen expression of despair.

Biting his tongue to keep himself from crying, Feliciano backed away and ran to follow the rest of the group.

Ivan was dead. Their only hope of surviving in these mines was dead and in the hands of the main killer. The wendigo knew they were down here now. Everything was jeopardized. First steps down here and they were already running for their life.

They were vulnerable now, the chances of making it out alive with or without Arthur even slimmer than ever.


	19. One of Two

They all ran deeper into the mines, neither of them knowing exactly where to go. Even worse, no one kept track of where they went so passage outside was left up to guess. It wasn't until they reached a dead end did they decide to stop.

Feliciano keeled over, coughing and gasping for breath as he tried to get himself together. Ivan was dead. He watched that monster cut through him like it was nothing! To see him being held up like that... struggling... slowly going limp... God, it was horrifying. The fact that something like that could happen to them any minute now sent numerous waves of panic throughout him.

"Jesus fucking Christ." Alfred swore, running shaky fingers through his hair. His words spoke on behalf of everyone while they all tried to catch their breath. "We have to get out of here. That-That thing is coming after us and, God, if it killed Ivan, it's going to kill us! We-We can't die down here!"

Gilbert looked around, eyes scanning the area to see what could help them out. Luckily, there was no sound of the wendigo come towards them so, in the meantime, they were safe. However, that only meant it was preoccupied with Ivan... which didn't make him feel any better. That man was only trying to help him... he wasn't supposed to die.

"Listen," Gilbert said, "We just have to be quiet, okay? Don't freak out just yet-"

"Don't freak out?! We just saw a man get killed by a horrifying monster and we ran down into the mines my dad told us specifically not to go to because it's dangerous- which, by the way, we're lost in! And you're telling me not to freak out?!" Alfred exclaimed heatedly, face paling as he spoke.

Kiku stepped forward, "We just have to find Arthur and get out of here. Remember, I radioed in for help and they said they would come and get us at dawn. If-If we just make out here before dawn and back to the lodge, we'll be okay..."

Even as those words were spoken, it still left a bottomless hole of hopelessness in all their hearts. So much had unfolded in a mere ten minutes and no one genuinely caught up to the present. Before, their chances of getting Arthur and getting back safely seemed so easy. Much more reliable. But now, as they waded in the mines with no recollection where to go from there, every hope and drop of faith had run dry.

"There has to be a map somewhere here, right? This is an old mining ground... maybe there's a map that'll show us where we are so we can know where to go from here." Kiku added on, looking around at everyone.

Francis nodded, "Yeah... we should check. If-If this is near where I was before... I might still remember where to go."

Everyone nodded in unison at that. That seemed like the best plan. Francis bit his lip at the thought of Arthur. Maybe if he got to see a map, he'll be able to pinpoint where he left Arthur. Arthur couldn't be that far from where they departed. He prayed that he was not too far off, both in distance and in hope of getting him back safely. With the absence of a watch and just any sort of time, he had no idea how long he had been gone.

Gilbert took a deep breath, trying to keep himself together. If Matthew hadn't of pulled that whole charade back at the lodge, he would've been (surprisingly enough to say) calm in this situation. He would've been able to keep a logical mindset and be the level headed person this group needed desperately. But, as he kept trying to maintain complete composure of himself, he just couldn't. The image of Ludwig just out of reach continued to flash violently in his mind. The cries of Feliciano and Kiku back in the basement. They were all still prominent in his mind as if refusing to let himself be.

He looked up for Feliciano but, to his already heightened worry, saw he was not there.

"Feli?" Gilbert asked out, ceasing everyone else's chatter.

"Feliciano?" Kiku said as he, too, noticed Feliciano's absence. Everyone looked around them as well. Feliciano was not there. Just moments ago he was there with them all but, all of a sudden, he was gone. Gilbert felt his face drain of color as he began to pace frantically around the secluded area they were in.

Alfred looked around as well, venturing towards where they came from. "Feliciano? Feliciano!" He called out loud but not too loud to where it could draw a lot of attention to themselves.

Shit. This was no time to lose someone from their group. This was no time for anyone to wonder off on their own. The damp stone walls of the mines gleamed cynically as an uneasy aura settled about.

Jabbing everyone in the back with surprise, a sudden scream rang out through the place. Gilbert's eyes widened, head snapping towards the direction of the scream. It was further into the mines opposite of where they came. And, without a doubt, it was Feliciano.

"Feli! We're coming!" He shouted back, feet pattering against the wet ground as he ran towards where Feli was. Everyone quickly followed, the fear of what caused the scream clawing away at them. Please, let him be okay... please let him be.

Alfred ran behind them all, struggling to keep up. The panic that coursed through him back in the lodge and with his time with Matthew returned. Fuck. This wasn't good. Mid run, Alfred felt himself trip over something sticking out from a large patch of dirt in a more open area of the mines. He winced as the left side of his body scraped against the ground, the pain curtained behind his heightened adrenaline. Pushing himself up, he looked back at what caused him to fall.

Sticking up from the dirt was an old wooden plank. The sides were scratched and horribly sawed as if it were done in a heat of the moment. Squinting through the smears on his glasses, Alfred began to read the words that were deeply scratched into the wood.

 _R.I.P_  
 _Lovin_ o

Holy... shit.

Alfred felt the color in his face disappear as he shakily began to scramble away from the sign and back towards where everyone was. Lovino? He was here? He _died_ here? What the hell was going on... this didn't add up. How was one of the two friends they were looking for here the entire time? Why was there a grave?

Feverishly, Alfred ran where everyone else had, eyes wide with terror.

"Guys! Guys! There's- There's something back there! Lov—" the blonde shouted as he began to catch up with everyone but let his words falter into his nothingness as he saw everyone.

They were all standing with their backs to him, staring at something he couldn't yet see. Kiku and Francis stood together, hands at their sides trembling in the slightest. Cautiously moving past them, Alfreda saw Gilbert kneeling down next to Feliciano. Feliciano was on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably into his hands as Gilbert embraced him in a tight hug. Hesitantly, Alfred walked beside the two, instantly regretting getting so close. Right in front of Feliciano was a trail of dried blood. The crimson smears led to a severed head carelessly placed on its side. The eyes were half way open, forever staring at the empty space in front of them. Auburn hair hung messily to the side, covering the bruising on its forehead. The neck was disgustingly messy with decay and now a filthy brown from where it was snapped from the rest of its body.

Feliciano choked on his tears as he struggled to find words to say. But, he couldn't... He simply cried out his pain and reawakened grief that he'd been holding in the entire trip.

Just faintly between his gasps of air and heartbreaking whines of despair, Alfred could make out just a few words.

"Fratello... brother... no..."

It was then did Alfred and everyone else suddenly realize that the poor head they were staring at was of their lost friend, Lovino Vargas.

...

[ Arthur's POV ]

The longer I lie here, the weaker I feel myself getting. It's so, so cold...

I haven't heard anything since that damn wendigo left. I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If there was no sound, maybe everyone was safe... or it just means it's killed them all. Dear God, I pray it's not the latter. Anything but the latter.

From where I lie, I can see my hand outstretched in front of me, holding onto nothing. My fingertips are a faint blue, but too numb to feel if any of this was painfully cold. It used to hurt but now I just feel... nothing. The gashes and bruising on my body seems to have just disappeared. This is good. Maybe if I don't move, I'll continue to feel nothing. Maybe if I just completely give up, I won't have to feel this terror anymore. Maybe if I...

My eyes widen as a loud scream reverberates off the walls of the mines. I feel the sinking in my stomach return again as I dread the cause of the scream. Who was that? It sounded like Feliciano. Oh no... please, let it not be anything bad. I can't bear the thought of anything harming him. He's gone through enough as it is, he needn't anymore despair.

 _"Guys! Guys! There's something-"_

I feel my chest twist as I heard Alfred's voice come down the tunnel to my right. They're all here...? And, they're all so close. I can hear them. They're just down that tunnel. They're so close... Oh god, Francis, he's there with them.

I open my mouth to call out but feel the cold air silence my voice. I try and call out louder but was interrupted by a harsh cough. Keeling to the side into a fit, I wince as my body moved against the stone. I had to get to them. I had to let them know I was here. They had to know I was here. They had to find me, or I had to reach them.

No matter what, my attempts to call out keep failing. It was no use. With defeat, I let my body slacken as the cold numbed my senses once more.

 **A/N:**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter. I apologize for the wait.**

 **Please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews, I love to hear from you all :)**


	20. It's Him

People often forget exactly how much time could impact them. Throughout our days we see it as just a number on the top of our phones or neatly placed ones in a circle on a wall. It's just the ticks and tocks that move the Earth around for a day just to repeat to the next. It's the structure that organizes our history and events, but nothing more than that. We forget the power one second has. One minute. One hour. We forget how much can exactly happen in that time span.

Time is a cunning foe. It glazes over our problems with numerical hope while ticking away, filling each timely void with unpredictable, unforgiving events. We fall into its wishful traps, clinging onto the lies it implants into our mind. Maybe we'll have more time to get this done? Maybe I can get this all done in five minutes? Can he hide this from him before he gets home? ...Maybe we'll find him tomorrow? A week? A month?

Those sly minute hands ensnared Feliciano into believing in that empty hope that one day, in a matter of time, his brother will return alive and well. That false sense of hope. Time ticked vivaciously as its long awaited bite finally reached Feliciano's heart as the young male stared at his dead brother.

It felt like he was kneeling before the decapitated head of Lovino for hours. No matter how hard he tried to push away what he saw and manipulate the truth, it was all to no avail. His brother was dead. He was dead. He really was dead and he saw it with his own eyes.

Everyone else fell into a shocked silence as they, too, stared at who was before them. To think, something like this could've happen to one of their friends! Certainly, it wasn't as surprising at it would've been only a day earlier due to the events they witnessed that night, but the sight and fact of seeing it right before their eyes was still unbelievable. This entire time... Lovino was right here.

"Jesus Christ..." Alfred was the first to speak above Feliciano's distraught cries. He glanced back at the wooden plank behind him and then back at the remains of Lovino.

Francis's stomach twisted in unease as pieces of the puzzles they picked up along the way tried to reattach themselves. "He... must've been killed by the wendigo."

They all shuddered in unison as the unpleasant thought of that act being performed crossed their minds. As if tonight couldn't get any worse. First, they find themselves trapped into a morbid prank. Now, they're all trapped in an eerie mine trying to get out without dying. It was as if they've fallen into a real life horror movie, all safe options abandoning them.

Feliciano, with his head bowed, gripped the fabric of his jeans tightly till his knuckles turned white. His shoulder and arms trembled as he sobbed. His tears wet the stone before him, mixing into the dried blood of his dead brother. Gilbert wrapped his arms around the broken boy, trying his best to comfort but he knew it wasn't helping. Nothing at this moment will comfort Feliciano. He knew this feeling more than anyone.

"Guys," Kiku whispered, feeling his chest tighten at the discomfort of having to be that person in this situation, "We have to keep moving. Th-The wendigo probably heard us from us talking and yelling. We have to keep goin-"

"No." Feliciano choked out, intaking sharply, "I can't- I can't leave. Lov-Lovin- Brother, I can't leave him... I c-can't leave-"

Kiku silenced at Feliciano's saddened remark on staying, understanding the other's grief. However, he couldn't help but feel even more anxious at the thought of staying here. They already made such a loud noise finding Lovino... it wouldn't take long for the wendigo to find them. Who says it hasn't noticed them here already and its already on its way.

Luckily, Kiku wasn't alone on the urgency to leave for Gilbert chimed in as well.

"Feli... we have to move. We can't stay here, you know that." He said softly, putting as much care in his words, "I am so, so sorry about Lovino. We all are, and we're all sad about what's happened to him... but, we can't stay here. The wendigo... it'll-"

"He's dead." Feliciano whimpered, taking a sharp breath. "This entire time we were searching for him... all that time I was waiting... he's- he's just been here-" Stutters and a quivering breath separated his words, covering the fact his sentences weren't complete in the first place. Despite sitting rigid before them all, Feliciano felt as if the entire world was shaking. The ground swirled and rippled beneath him as the severed head constantly went in and out of focus. It was as if the bones in his body turned to stone, weighing him down upon a cracking reality.

Francis shifted where he stood, eyes darting around the mines. He could of swore he heard something... Was it a cough? It was too quiet to determine exactly what it was. Maybe it was just a gust of wind traveling through some stone. His heart ached.

As if on cue, a loud screech reverberated off the walls of the mine, followed by the ear piercing drag of claws on the rock walls. Everyone's face paled as the presence of the wendigo was renewed in their minds.

"Fuck!" Alfred hissed, taking a step back despite not knowing exactly which way the wendigo was coming from. It sounded like it was coming from where they just came from but he wouldn't rely too much on sound since it echoed off the walls in all directions.

Kiku, making a quick decision, locked eyes on the closest escape way. "Everyone, through here! Quickly!"

Without any hesitation, everyone ran down the pathway mentioned, not looking back. Gilbert looked to make sure Feliciano was following, relieved to see the male was still able to respond to danger. However, the look he bore was concerning. It wasn't sadness nor was it fear. It was simply... nothing.

The direction Kiku ordered them to go didn't take them too far before they reached another clearing. However, it caused the wendigo's shrieks to grow distant. Slightly. Unfortunately, that didn't comfort them in the slightest. They were just prolonged the inevitable.

Francis was in front of everyone as they ran, obviously being the first to get a first look at the new area of the mines they've stumbled into. It wasn't as different from the area they just came out of. The only significant difference being it was larger and there was a large hole at the top of the mines that had a teasing view of the world up above. Great. Looking down, Francis scanned the area. Maybe there would be some crates they could hide behind or, if they're lucky, an elevator shaft to take them up. However, what Francis did find was something he would've preferred more than anything than an elevator shaft.

Near the farthest wall from where they entered lied a teenage boy with dirty blond hair that curtained his eyes. He was shirtless and had one arm outstretched towards where the group of friends were coming from... as if trying to reach them. Without needing a closer look, Francis felt his stomach twist.

"Oh, dear God, Arthur!" He cried, running faster. All that adrenaline silenced how weary his body was as he made his way towards his beloved. Everyone else quickly followed to, but none reaching the speed of Francis. Drawing closer drew more details to Francis's eyes, causing his heart to sink further in his chest.

There were two deep gashes torn into Arthur's side, a light puddle of blood beneath him previously formed. His broken leg had begun to spread into a blotchy purple and blue, much worse since when Francis last saw him. To his already growing worry, Arthur didn't react when he finally reached him.

"Arthur... Arthur! Oh, fuck- please be okay. Please..." Francis fell to his knees as he gingerly lifted up Arthur into his arms. His skin was dangerously cold and Francis internally scolded himself for allowing Arthur to give up his shirt for him.

Everyone else quickly sprinted up to Francis's side, a tense atmosphere suddenly pricking their senses. Alfred felt his body instantly go numb as he caught sight of Arthur's limp body. Every argument and shred of irritation that he held for the other earlier that day disappeared from his mind. Eyes immediately fell to Arthur's exposed and battered chest, watching it rise and fall, slowly.

"He's still alive." Alfred said, exhaling with relief. He was comforted by the fact that he wasn't dead. Arthur was still there, he was still breathing and alive. That was a good sign, right? He was going to be okay... right?

The rest of the group stood around anxiously, eyes constantly glancing at Arthur and his injuries and then back over their shoulders for any sign of the wendigo.

"We have to move him." Gilbert whispered to Francis, breath shaking as he exhaled. "Do you want to carry him or would you like me to-"

"I got him." Francis said, eyes glued to Arthur. Yes, he was going to carry him. He left him down here after all. He felt it was his responsibility now to be the one to bring him up to safety. He had to be the one, he must be the one.

Gingerly, Francis began to cradle Arthur in his arms, being mindful of the other's wounds. He carefully moved to lift him up but stopped short when Arthur stiffened with a wince.

"Arthur!" Francis breathed, quickly shifting his hold on the other as he depicted a faint expression of pain. Arthur cracked his eyes open just a tad. Francis smiled, joyful to see that Arthur woke up. However, that smile was short lived as he watched Arthur's facade gradually shift into despair as tears dripped down the sides of his face.

"Wh-Why did you come back down here? You-All of you have to leave." His voice cracked under the weight of his worries as he glanced up at Francis and everyone else he could see staring down at him.

Gilbert knelt down beside Francis, trying to give a reassuring smile to Arthur. "Arthur, we came to get you. We're going to get out of here, okay? We-"

"You have to get out of here before he finds you." Arthur made out, whimpering as he tried to stifle a pained cough. He shook his head, shuddering in Francis's arms.

"Who is he?" Francis asked gently, finding himself mirroring Arthur's terror despite his knowledge being in the unknown.

Arthur opened his mouth to answer but felt the words stolen from his lips as another shriek rickosheted off the mine walls. He flinched as his breathing grew rapid in fear. They all turned around, focusing on the looming monstrous shadow that crawled towards them from where they recently escaped from. On the ground only inches away from where Arthur had been lying, the notepad he'd been reading fluttered against a chilling breeze. It was almost as if it were calling back to life the writer of the intense words that were scratched on the pages.

"H-He's already found us." Arthur stammered, reaching up to grab onto Francis's shirt to be closer to him. "It's him... It's..."

Behind the group, the wendigo crawled into the area. It was as if it was an entirely new creature. If they didn't notice the details before, they noticed it now. Upon its rough, scarred head were small tufts of brown hair that would once get tangled together in a summer breeze. Clouded grey eyes only showing a hint of the dark green that used to shine in the irises. It was as if the dark forest had been burnt down and all that was left was the clouds of smoke from the debris. It's mouth curled into a large, hungry smile, showcasing its sharp rows of teeth. No matter how terrifying this smile was, it still couldn't hide the nostalgic feeling it brought to life within everyone.

"It's Antonio."

_  
 **A/N:**

 **I only have like 4 or maybe 5 more chapters left for this story heh.**

 **Who is still reading this story?**

 **I know Erica is (hi erica!) cause she's been hounding me to upDATE MMM but I'm just curious to know who else is (if there's anyone else)**

 **anyways,**  
 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**  
 **please leave your feedback in the comments/reviews c:**  
 **I love to read them**


	21. Last Words - Antonio POV -

_Death is inevitable._

 _We've come to terms with that from the earliest points in our lives. We know we all die one day. We know we don't live forever. It's just the way of life. There's always an ending that follows a beginning._

 _People always say death is peaceful. That when you feel yourself going away... it's calming. That you feel yourself relax. Some even say you see a beautiful angel by your side, reaching out to take your hand. To take away your pain and burdens. It's supposed to be meaningful. It's supposed to relieving._

 _Bullshit._

 _There was no angel._  
 _There was no peace._  
 _There was nothing._

 _Nothing but loneliness and betrayal of everything I've ever known._

 _The fall should have killed me. From the very first second I felt us falling downwards, I had accepted the fact that that would be my last day. It was a very fast realization that I accepted in the few seconds I thought I had left to live. But, no. There was no point to any of that. I realized that when I opened my eyes and was forced to stare at the still, cold face of the man I loved more than anyone._

 _Lovino, oh my dearest sweetheart... when I awoke on that damp, mine floor, he had already died. From examining his body, he died on impact. He was lying in an uncomfortable situation with his backside soaked in a pool of his blood. It stained the shirt I gave to him just months before. It had a little turtle on the front, which he claimed that it reminded him of me. I guess that's why he wore it all the time. Ha..._

 _Why didn't I die with him? Why did I have to be left alone with only his cold, rotting corpse to be my only company? This was all my fault. If I hadn't of upset him, he wouldn't of run out and we would still be back at the lodge with everyone else._

 _Everyone else._

 _I spent days (or what I think were days) waiting for someone to find me. The fall had shattered my leg so there was minimal work for me to do on my own to leave._

 _As time passed, the weaker I became. Soon, I could barely lift my head off the floor without getting exhausted. No food, no water... I was so thirsty, I resorted to grab onto any piles of snow and eating them. It wasn't enough. I was too hungry. Too thirsty. Nothing was enough._

 _More time passed, still no one. Maybe they forgot about me... Maybe they gave up looking. Did they even care to look thoroughly? Or did they look for a little and give up hope? At times, I would make the attempt to shout and cry out in case they were nearby. But it was all to no avail. My voice came out in whispers and coughs as my own words failed to save me._

 _Why couldn't I die?_

 _It was as if the world feasted off my pain and suffering. Death was so near, I felt it. Yet, it was always out of reach, laughing as I tried to grasp it. It was agonizing._

 _Through this entire time, I was trapped in the same area as my beloved Lovino's body. I was forced to watch his body slowly decay and gradually turn grey. His beautiful face had grown still and stiff, no longer holding its mesmerizing glow. His eyes were dull, forever fixated on the stone walls around us. He died with misery plastered on his face, as if he was clinging onto life and refused to die even till the last moment. Ha, silly. Death was the preferable option in this case, and, even so, I was grateful that I had to endure this and not him._

 _It didn't take long till my state became too unbearable. The mere action of moving my arm became too painful to do. My mouth was so dry, I felt as if my lips cracked and cut at every intake of breath I took in. Yet, even through all this, death was still sitting idly by, reveling in my pain._

 _I was hungry. So, so hungry..._

 _So hungry._

 _so_

 _very_

 _hungry._

 _I don't know what came over me. It was as if my body moved on its own, doing whatever that was necessary to stay alive despite my never ending pleas for this all to stop. Through my fragile bones and faltering heart, I felt myself pull closer to Lovino's body. It hadn't fully decomposed yet. His flesh was still intact. Tight and a grey-blue, but still there. My stomach growled as my bony hands grabbed his thin wrist, dragging him closer to me. If there was a God, I prayed he would forgive me for what I was about to do._

 _The moment my teeth sunk into his arm, I felt a rush of relief course through me. It felt so so good to finally eat something. From the first bite, my mind immediately went blank and it wasn't Lovino I was eating. It was food. A life source. It was nourishing me. It was giving me back my will to live and relieving me of my pain. I felt like an animal. Bite after bite, I consumed him. Every bite, I felt myself burying my face deeper into the exposed flesh. I gnawed on the bones when I reached them, hungrily cleaning them off the rotten flesh and meat. The fact that what I was eating was disgusting, raw, and decaying, it didn't matter._

 _After what seemed like ages of feasting, the realization of what I was doing finally hit me. Lovino's body was no longer beautifully in tact in death. No... It was torn apart and butchered as if a ravaged animal clawed into him mercilessly. That animal was me. I had done this. I had done this to my precious Lovino._

 _I screamed and felt incredibly sick, digging my fingers into my stomach. How could I have done this? How could I have done something so insensitive and disrespectful? How could I have destroyed my love's body in such a heartless manner?_

 _Odd enough, I didn't regret it. I was disgusted with myself, but I continued anyways._

 _I was starving._

 _I continued to eat the rest of what I could off his body, hating myself all the while._

 _I continued to scream at myself with no effort to stop myself._

 _Every bite sickened me, but filled me with strength I thought I had long lost. Even through this though, I kept his face in tact. I couldn't harm his beautiful, lovely face, despite how hungry I was._

 _How did things become like this? All I wanted out of this trip was to spend time with my closest friends and my boyfriend. That is all that was supposed to happen. How did this turn to me feeding off the corpse of the person I held dearest to my heart, alone in an abandoned mine. It was my fault. This was all my fault._

 _Or was it?_

 _Why wasn't I found? My self hatred and blame on myself gradually shifted as I began to think of other reasons why I was still here. These mines weren't too far from the lodge. Why hadn't anyone found me? If they really tried and put forth all effort and care to find me, they would. I didn't even hear the sound of people searching above. I've heard deer walking by and birds and all other sounds of nature, but not once the sound of a search party. Did they not care? Or, was it the thought of me dead was too easy to accept?_

 _If they really cared, they would've found me by now. I wouldn't be in this mess. Even more so, when Lovino ran out, none of them bothered to go after him or us for the matter. They just watched us go out. How long did it take them to realize we weren't coming back?_

 _More days rolled by and I continued to eat from Lovi. I was loosing myself. I grew stronger and healthier, but the more I ate the more I lost my sense of self. My body had begun to change... My fingers grew and became sharper. I was becoming a monstrous being, from what I saw from reflective puddles on the stone floors. I was disgusting. I was hideous. I was tretchourous. The more I ate, the worse I became._

 _But it didn't matter._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _I was hungry._

 _SO_

 _VERY_

 _HUNGRY_

 _I AMND SO DJNBERYVERY HUNSYGRY_

 _HUNGNER HUGERY GER HUNFG HUGNRRY_

 _IWASDHUNGRYGB_

 **Author's Note:**

 **hi, im still alive and here**


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